North Village 1 Devonshire Cougars 0

North Village claimed their second piece of football silverware this season with a narrow triumph over Devonshire Cougars in the Dudley Eve Trophy final at Somerset Cricket Club on Saturday night.

Kyler Knights, known more for his defensive prowess than goalscoring capability, emerged as the hero with his 33rd-minute strike deciding matters in favour of the Rams.

Knights’s hastily manufactured flying volley from a bouncing Daion Swan-DeSilva free kick proved pivotal in a match that revealed few thrills throughout its duration.

“I’m always happy to score,” said a gleeful Knights, who was given the honour of collecting the trophy during the end of game prize presentation.

“I don’t get to score too many, so when they do come, especially in a final as the only goal, I’m over the moon. To be able to pick up the trophy as well is great.”

Knights explained how quick thinking in tight quarters and awkward circumstances allowed him to score.

“I had to make something up,” he said. “Once it bounced off the pitch it went higher than I expected but I knew it was within my reach and decided to throw my foot at it. Luckily, it went back post.”

While victorious, Village were arguably not the best outfit on the pitch as Cougars largely controlled possession particularly in the defensive and middle thirds, forcing their opponents into adopting a defensive posture for much of the second half.

But goals win matches and Cougars’ lack of imagination and finishing let them down in the critical final third and cost them dearly according to coach Kwame Steede.

“First of all, hats off to Village,” said Steede, gracious in defeat.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow right now. We played well in spurts and had long minutes, long spells on the ball, long periods of possession but we lacked in the final third. We lacked a goal.

“l think we forced them to play defensively by the way we were playing. We retained the ball early in that they were unable to receive possession so they had to do that and I suppose you could say that they did it well.”

Aside from the goal the first half was largely forgettable for both teams and the second half differed little, with the sizeable crowd starved for entertainment value.

Village striker Pierre Smith came close to doubling his team’s lead in the 56th minute, outmanoeuvring his marker to make his way inside the penalty area only for a last-gasp deflection to send his shot inches wide of the post.

Moments later Simeon Burrows launched a 35-yard screamer that forced a diving save out of Village custodian Detre Bell.

Such would be the tale of the night, with Cougars' offensive efforts unsuccessful and allowing the men in red to add the Dudley Eve Trophy to the Charity Cup won at the season’s commencement.

Victorious Village coach Kenny Thompson told how his men were prepared to do whatever necessary to emerge on top.

“We knew we had to be prepared to grind if we needed to,” said Thompson, who admitted his squad was depleted and he had to carry three players on the bench he was reluctant to use due to injury.

“We knew that it was a cup final and cup finals have a tendency not to produce the best performances, so we talked about having to have the intensity, energy, mental capacity and spirit to grind it out if necessary.

“Going up one nothing meant half-time was all about us being able to manage the game and, in this instance, not necessarily about a controlling standpoint, we just had to in every moment make the right decision that was needed.”

Even as he was satisfied with the title, Thompson was still thinking of the future with two thirds of the season yet to be played.

“I’m proud of the team at the moment,” he said. “We’ve started well, but we’re working well, which is key.

“I’m big on work ethic. At the end of the day we cannot guarantee victories, but when they work hard I’ll back the players 100 per cent.

“At the moment the work we’re putting in is paying off in results. So with the work we’ve done this season I beleive the two trophies we’ve earned has been deserved, but it’s still early in the season and we have to remain hungry going forward.

“It’s still only November 11, with a long way to go, but so far so good and it feels great.”

SCORERS

North Village: Knights 33

TEAMS

North Village (3-5-2): D Bell 6 – K Knights 7, J Harvey 7, R Sampson 6 – A Dos Santos (sub: T Bean, 70min 5), J Outerbridge 6, D Swan-DeSilva 6, K Harrison 6 (sub I Simmons, 70 5), J Smith-DeShields 6 – D Wainwright 6 (sub: V Perinchief, 89), P Smith 6. Substitutes not used: A DeShields, N Anglin, Tokia Bean, L Steede, L Evans. Booked: Sampson.

Devonshire Cougars (3-5-2): A Parker-Ingham 6 – T Tucker 6 (sub: D Simmons, 78), J Thomas 6, M Joell 6 – , Z White 6 (sub: J Brimmer, 61 6), Z Simmons 6, D Daniels 6 (sub: Q Maynard, 73), S Burrows 7, D Coddington 6 – E Darrell 5 (sub: J Fox, 61 6), L Simmons 6. Substitutes not used: L Millett, D Hendrickson, N Simmons. Booked: Burrows.

Referee: A Majors.