Somerset party turns sour
On the day that Somerset were expected to win and secure their spot in the Premier Division, bottom team St. David's decided to spoil the party and have one of their own.
The match was full of incident as Somerset's goalkeeper Keenan Tucker was taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle and the Trojans also had international defender Karl Roberts and coach Gary (Tuba) Mallory sent off for disputing a goal that was eventually disallowed.
Through it all, St. David's scored three goals for the first time this season, including the winner nine minutes from the end as they collected their first win of the season to add more intrigue to the relegation fight.
St. David's took the lead after 14 minutes through an Andre Bean own goal when he tried to clear a shot off the line and sliced it into goal. Tucker was injured in the goalmouth scramble and play was held up for six minutes before he was eventually taken to hospital by ambulance. Bean took over the goalkeeping duties.
St. David's were having the better of Somerset at that point as they often beat the home team to the ball. However, in the 26th minute Trojans equalised when Roberts blasted the ball in off the underside of the crossbar from a free kick on the edge of the box.
Three minutes after that Somerset had a goal disallowed for offside before Rodney Bascome missed another good chance in the first minute of the second half.
St. David's reclaimed the lead 10 minutes into the second half through Worrell Bean, following a throw- in deep on Somerset's right side. The Trojans defence failed to clear as Bean had a free run at goal from 15 yards and from a sharp angle he fired into the roof of the net.
Somerset equalised a second time in the 67th minute when substitute Nasir Wade, who had only been on the field two minutes, scored at the back post.
Things became heated in the 74th minute when St. David's put the ball in the net as Somerset waited for the offside call. Initially referee Lyndon Raynor did not blow his whistle and Roberts raced over to linesman Ralph Tumbridge and shouted at him in protest.
That brought a yellow card for Roberts and when he failed to move away as Raynor tried to consult with his official and then threw the ball off the field in frustration, the red card came out. That proved to be senseless on Somerset's part as the goal was then disallowed.
Mallory, on the Somerset bench, also got involved as he continued to make comments to Tumbridge after having been warned to stay away when Raynor tried to talk to his colleague. This time Raynor lost his patience and ejected Mallory.
St. David's scored the winner in the 81st minute when the Trojans were caught short at the back and Otis Minors got on the end of a cross and planted the ball into the roof of the net from 15 yards.