Devonshire Colts 1 Robin Hood 2

Devonshire Colts were relegated to the First Division after a combination of their loss to Robin Hood and X-Roads’ victory over Somerset Trojans sealed their fate as the curtains closed on the domestic league campaign.

The match was played in windy, cross field conditions which affected the standard of play as both teams struggled to control the weight of their passes and build any promising attacks.

The first real chance of the game came midway through the opening half from a Colts corner but Hood stand-in goalkeeper Matthew Fullerton was well positioned to palm a glancing header which made its way through a maze of players. The subsequent rebound was cleared off the line by a Hood defender as Colts searched for the all-important opener.

That was their only chance of the half as the youthful and talented Hood outfit began to settle on the ball to create opportunities of their own.

Tariq Bean tested the Colts goalkeeper Jahniko Francis with a stinging long-range shot which the shot-stopper gathered on the second attempt before needing treatment for a finger injury caused by the fierce drive.

Just before the half, veteran Hood midfielder, Liam Evans escaped a booking as he was late in a challenge on Treshun Smith with the player having to be substituted after sustaining an arm injury in the fall.

Colts started the second half with more intensity and began to run at their opponents in search of the opener. A good build up between Robert Urquhart and Shaki Swan led to the latter playing a perfect ball into the path of Brandon O’Connor but he would hurry his shot under pressure as the ball rolled across the face of the goal.

Hood would end up scoring first with some assistance from the heavy wind as a cross-come-shot from Andre Simons from deep on the left flank sailed over goalkeeper Francis’s head and into the back of the net.

The Colts never hung their heads and were awarded a penalty when Swan was first to a bad back pass with Malachi Henry pulling him down from behind leaving Barbadian referee Jamar Springer the easy task of awarding a spot kick.

Henry was also red-carded for foul and abusive language as he disputed the call before Zari Burgess blasted the spot kick into the roof of the net.

The Colts picked up the tempo and forced Hood to make a desperate goalmouth clearance from a corner but it would be Hood who would score late in the game through substitute Andre Mussenden, who scored with his second touch after a give and go with Kwame Naylor to steer the ball into the net.

A vocal Dandy Town Hornets motorcade converged at the venue for the dying stages of the match to wish the Colts farewell as the final whistle signalled a new chapter for the hosts.

SCORERS

Devonshire Colts: Z Burgess 77

Robin Hood: A Simons 68, A Mussenden 87

TEAMS

Devonshire Colts (4-2-3-1): J Francis 6 ‒ E Weldon 5 (sub: S Thomas 72min), C Minors 6, M Williams 5, F Lema 6 ‒ T Smith 5 (K Bailey 46 5), Z Burgess 6 ‒ B O’Connor 6 (sub: T Axelsen 89), R Urquhart 6 (sub: D Davis 67 5), J Paynter 6 (sub: J Saunders 89) ‒ S Swan 6. Substitutes not used: J Fleming. Booked: R Urquhart, C Minors.

Robin Hood (4-1-4-1): M Fullerton ‒ D Cook 5, M Henry 5, C Robinson 6, K Knights 5 (sub: A Mussenden) ‒ L Evans 6 ‒ A Simons 6, K Naylor 6, T Bean 6, N Outerbridge 6 (sub: H Twiter) ‒ E Morgan 5. Substitutes not used: T Figuerido. Sent off: Henry

Referee: J Springer