Dandy Town 5 St George’s 0

Striker Jahzardae Samuels marked his return to action for Dandy Town with his first Premier Division hat-trick as Dandy Town thrashed St George’s at Goose Gosling Field on Sunday.

Samuels, 25, who missed his team’s 3-1 loss to Somerset Trojans last Saturday scored all three goals in the first half before Tomiko Goater joined in the scoring party with a brace in the second half to hand Town their third win of the season.

“It feels good to bounce back from a loss last week,’’ Samuels said.

“Unfortunately I was overseas but it definitely feels good to bounce back, win and conjure up three points. It is what we needed.

“To be honest I tell my little sister before every game. She told me to score a goal today, but I told her I'm getting a hat-trick, so I definitely felt it today.

“It’s my first hat-trick since I've been playing in the Premier Division. Most of the times I got a brace but have never been able to finish off.

“This is a big win for the team. We get the three points and climb up on the table as well. It gives us encouragement, more motivation and it’s time to focus on the next opponent.”

St George’s coach Jarreau Hayward was devastated his team’s second loss of the season, which saw his side remain on eight points albeit with a dented goal difference.

“It was a humbling experience today,’’ Hayward told The Royal Gazette.

“We just have to get back to the drawing board, continue to improve, continue to work hard and that’s the only way through it.

“We’re in a bad moment but it’s not foreign to any team in the world. We just have to show character and we’ll see what happens in the coming days.

“I just don’t think we had the fight today. I’m not really sure why. We had an excellent week of training, but the only thing that’s going to rectify this is to continue with diligence and work.

“We just have to keep the spirit alive and keep working. It’s a long season and a lot of games to play. We’re a growing and developing team so we just have to keep on grinding and see what happens.”

Town started off the livelier of the two sides with Jahquil Hill, the St George’s goalkeeper, twice called into action to stop the opponents from scoring but he could do nothing in the eleventh minute when Samuels smashed the ball past Hill from close range.

Drewonde Bascome almost equalised for St George’s in the fourteenth minute, only for his effort from a long-range free kick to rattle the upright before it was cleared for a corner.

Hayward was forced into an early substitution when Jelani Carlington was withdrawn through injury and replaced by Ari Cannonier.

Samuels doubled his team’s lead in the 38th minute with the forward finding himself unmarked in the box before beating Hill and he completed his hat-trick two minutes before half-time with a header from a well executed free-kick by Goater.

Six minutes into the second half Goater found his way on to the scoresheet when finishing off a great run on the left, and the captain added a second in the 74th minute when he finished off some lovely build-up work to beat Hill on the near post.

With his first touch after being brought on as substitute, Dashun Butterfield had his effort blocked by Hill and Goater also pushed for a hat-trick, only for some brilliant goalkeeping by the St George’s goalkeeper denying him.

As Town kept on pushing more goals, Tavez Smith, who came on for Samuels, missed a sitter from close range after a great run on the left by Nizigh Spence.

SCORERS

Dandy Town: Samuels 11, 38, 43, Goater 51, 74

TEAMS

Dandy Town (4-3-3): A Harvey 6 – Q Watson 7 (sub: G Liburd, 71min), D Leverock 7, M Isaac 6, E Outerbridge 7 – A Daniels 7, N Spence 7, K Brangman 7 (sub: K Sharrief-Hayward, 66 4) – C Robinson 7 (sub: D Butterfield, 74), J Samuels 9 (sub: T Smith, 74), T Goater 8. Substitutes not used: E Moore, A Simmons, J Bailey. Booked: Isaac.

St George’s (4-3-3): J Hill 6 – T Burgess 5, N Paynter 5, A Simmons, J Carlington (sub: A Cannonier, 15 4, D Lodge, 63 4) – K Minors 6, D Bascome 6, K Hall 5 – A Douglas 5 (sub: P Simons, 63 4), M Paynter 5, A Francis 5. Substitutes not used: Z Burgess, E Signor, J Smith, G Wade.

Referee: A Francis.