BAA Wanderers 1

Butterfield & Vallis United 5

Lashun Dill plundered a hat-trick for Butterfield & Vallis United, the Corona League newcomers, against First Division side BAA Wanderers in last night’s FA Cup preliminary round tie at Goose Gosling Field.

With several former Bermuda players in their line-up — including Dill — United proved to have too much know-how for a youthful looking BAA, who were too easily bullied at times by their more experienced opponents.

United were awarded a penalty for handball in the fifth minute, which Dill stepped up to take, having his initial effort saved by Jordon Cassarano, the BAA goalkeeper, before tapping home the rebound.

One of only two Corona League teams, along with Tuff Dogs, who accepted the Bermuda Football Association’s invite into the competition, United added a second in the 20th through the vastly experienced Mark Ray with a neat lobbed effort.

BAA tried manfully to get their passing going but were finding themselves overpowered by United’s physicality while struggling with the pace of Dill and, to a lesser extent, Reggie Lowe.

Dill, a former Dandy Town and North Village forward, increased his side’s lead in the 27th, scoring directly from a corner kick, with Joshua Crockwell, the side’s captain, adding a fourth before half-time. After the break, BAA certainly improved, although United seemed more than happy to sit deep and enable their older legs to soak up the pressure. BAA’s Marcus Ming probably should have done better from a good chance midway through the second half, striking the outside of the post moments before Dill scored a fifth, rounding Cassarano and turning the ball into the empty net.

BAA did at least manage to register a goal when Iaquan Thomas fired home from the edge of the box late on, although by that stage Dill and his evergreen team-mates had already imparted a tough lesson on their younger counterparts.

“I had a feeling we would have a bit too much experience for them,” Dill, 34, said. “They tried to put some pressure on us, but we got some early goals. In the second half we just soaked it up. We have a few players like myself who have played a bit of international football and know what it takes to win.”

Dill added: “I still think I’m good enough and young enough to play in the Premier Division, although I’m enjoying playing in the Corona League with these guys.”