Dandy Town Hornets 1 Somerset Trojans 0

A solitary first-half strike from Tomiko Goater enabled Dandy Town Hornets to maintain their unbeaten Premier Division run in a determined performance over previously undefeated Somerset Trojans in this rescheduled encounter at Goose Gosling Field yesterday.

Both teams received injuries to key players within the first 20 minutes which hampered the quality of play, but this affected the Trojans more than Town, with Leo Burgess pulling up with a leg injury and eventually had to be replaced.

Town’s goalkeeper, Jaiden Manders went down as early as the second minute with a leg injury as well but he managed to complete the game despite having restricted movement.

In the end, goalscorer Goater was happy with the outcome.

“At the end of the day, I just wanted us to get over the line and win. That’s what it was all about,” he said. “Whether it be 1-0 or 5-0 regardless, as long as we are winning.

“We knew they were going to come at us hard today so our focus was to do the same thing and even better to stay on top. Right now, we are just taking one game at a time. It feels good to score the winner but it was a total team effort.”

The Trojans controlled the opening 15 minutes with Justin Corday being the main threat. It was Corday who had the first attempt at the Town goal when he dispossessed defender Jahseiko Richardson-Martin before dribbling and hitting a firm shot that Town goalkeeper, Manders pushed over the top for a corner.

Marquel Nisbett Tankard almost gifted Town the opener when he misdirected a clearance back towards the centre of his goal where Nizigh Spence could only head wide when well placed.

Goater would score the game winner minutes later when he played a give and go with skipper Angelo Simmons before hitting a firm drive at goal from an angle which Trojan’s goalkeeper Jade Morrissey did well to block with his body but was too powerful and landed into the back of the net.

The Trojans should have equalised just on the stroke of half time when a quickly taken free kick caught Town’s defence sleeping only for Jaden Ratteray-Smith’s low cross to beat the outstretched foot of striker, Jahkari Furbert.

The second half started at a quick pace as the Trojans searched for an equaliser with Corday the orchestrated of many of their attacks. However, it was Town substitute Cecoy Robinson who created the closest goal scoring opportunity with a daunting run down the right flank but his low cross just evaded the onrushing Kamali Davis.

The Trojans had a golden opportunity to level when sub Haile Eve forced defender Seon Darrell to miscue a clearance at the top of his area but could not take advantage as he took too long to get the shot off allowing Darrell to recover and clear the ball for a corner.

Unfortunate for the Trojans, playmaker Corday was ailing from a knock he had received earlier and could not continue with ten minutes remaining. His departure diminished Trojans’ hopes of finding an equaliser.

SCORERS

Dandy Town Hornets: T Goater 35

TEAMS

Dandy Town Hornets (4-1-4-1): J Manders 6 – E Blankendal 5, S Darrell 6, A Furbert 5, J Bean-Lindo 5 – J Richardson-Martin 5 (sub: T Webb 46 5) – T Goater 7, N Spence 5, O Lowe 5 (sub: C Robinson 56 6), K Davis 5 (sub: M Matthew-Cann 81) – A Simmons 5. Substitutes not used: J Johnson, A Simons. Booked: Furbert.

Somerset Trojans (4-2-3-1): J Morrissey 6 – M Henschke 5, T Ming 5, M Turner 5, M Nisbett-Tankard 5 – J Corday 7 (sub: T Tyrell 5), D Brangman 5 – L Burgess 4 (sub: N Rego 25 5), Jaden Ratteray-Smith 5, D Ming 5 (sub: H Eve 65 5) – J Furbert 5. Substitutes not used: D Swan, M Aden, Jaz Ratteray-Smith, A Morrissey, K Sharrief-Hayward. Booked: D Brangman, T Ming, J Corday, Jaden Ratteray-Smith.

Referee: M Wyer