Somerset Trojans 2 Hamilton Parish 1

Tevahn Tyrell grabbed a dramatic stoppage time winner with virtually the last kick of a thrilling FA Cup first round tie at Somerset Cricket Club last night.

Just when it seemed as though the match would drag on to extra time, the experienced forward popped up with the winner to finally see off a gutsy Hamilton Parish, who did well to match their opponents who play a division above them in the top flight.

Earlier, Jaden Ratteray-Smith and Shayne Hollis traded goals to leave the match dangling in the balance before Tyrell pounced.

“First of all my hat go off to Hamilton Parish,” Jomar Wilkinson, the Somerset coach, said. “They definitely came to play.

“They really brought their ‘A’ game and we really had to fight for it. We had to show some character so I’m pleased with the outcome.”

He added: “I thought we lacked a little discipline late in the game and got kind of chaotic but we kept pushing, kept believing and we kept trusting.

While disappointed with the outcome, Parish coach Sergio Goater hailed his team’s determined display that frustrated their hosts throughout the contest.

“It (defeat) is hard to take but it was a good performance,” Goater said. “We had chances but we just didn’t take them.”

“It is a big time heartbreak but we will bounce back from that.”

Somerset’s victory did not come without a cost as goalkeeper Jade Morrissey injured himself gathering a dangerous cross and had to be replaced.

Parish came charging out of the blocks and took the match to Somerset during an early spell of possession but were unable to penetrate their opponent’s defence. After absorbing some pressure, the home side began carving out space in the attacking third and creating chances.

They eventually made the breakthrough through a fluent attack that caught Parish flat-footed. Tyrell chipped the ball over the defence where Ratteray-Smith took a touch before lashing past the exposed Nigel Burgess.

The goal lit a fire under Somerset who created a handful of opportunities in quick succession. Justin Corday curled Ratteray-Smith’s pass beyond of the far post from the top of the box while striker Allan Douglas angled a shot wide after being played through into space.

Corday then broke free down the left side but was unable to hit the target with Burgess stranded slightly off his line.

Parish nearly grabbed an equaliser against the run of play as Somerset right back Donte Brangman cleared a loose ball from Mauriq Hill's free kick off the line.

Trevin Ming, the Somerset centre back, then timed his tackle in the box perfectly to deny Parish forward Tahjae Welch as he wriggled his way towards goal to preserve the hosts’ slim advantage at the break.

Parish pressed on when play resumed and eventually equalised through Hollis’s superbly taken goal. The forward collected Jordan Outerbridge’s pass and lobbed the ball over the stranded Morrissey to level the contest.

The equaliser saw the game opening up as both teams pressed on in search of the winner.

Ratteray-Smith miskicked substitute Nathan Rego’s inviting cross in the box while Jahkari Furbert had two curling efforts from outside of the box saved by Burgess.

Parish threatened twice on the counter attack with Morrissey saving Hollis’s shot from an angle while Outerbridge had a shot blocked in front of goal. The goalkeeper’s night came to a premature end six minutes from the end of regulation time when he injured himself dealing with a late Parish attack.

However, Somerset finally managed to break Parish’s resistance with extra time looming. Midfielder Damon Ming gained possession near the halfway line and drove deep in Parish’s half before passing to Tyrell on the right side of the box, who then hammered the ball into the far corner to seal the deal seconds from the final whistle.

SCORERS

Somerset Trojans: Jaden Ratteray-Smith 22, Tyrell 90+5

Hamilton Parish: Hollis 60

TEAMS

Somerset Trojans (4-1-4-1): J Morrissey 7 (sub: N Durham 84min) – M Nisbett- Tankard 7, Jaz Ratteray- Smith 7, T Ming 7, D Brangman 7 – D Ming 7- J Furbert 8, Jaden Ratteray- Smith 8, J Corday 6 (sub: J Butterfield 67 7), T Tyrell 8 – A Douglas 6 (sub: N Rego 60 7). Booked: Ming. Substitutes not used: D Swan, K Brangman, J Gooden, C Durham.

Hamilton Parish (4-3-3): N Burgess 7 ‒ K Wade 7, M Hill 7, Q Outerbridge 7, Q Glasford 7 – S McKittrick 7, K Richardson 6 (sub: C Lindo 62), S Hollis 8 – T Welch 7, J Outerbridge 7, M Walker 7. Substitutes not used: Z Wolfe-Simpson, J Steede, P Tohill, J Hunt-Tucker.

Referee: J Springer