Hamilton Parish 3 Tuff Dogs 1

Tuff Dogs had their FA Cup run brought to an end in the quarter-finals at Wellington Oval on Saturday.

Macquille Walker scored twice for Premier Division Hamilton Parish, including one from the penalty spot, to end the plucky resistance of Corona League side Tuff Dogs, who put up a spirited display particularly in the first half.

Parish assistant coach Larry Smith was pleased with his team’s resilience but was disappointed with the start of the game.

“We disrespected our opposition,” Smith stated. “I really didn’t know what to expect from them, but they gave us a good first half.”

“We got those two goals to take control but I had a conversation with them at half-time, and they took the plan on board.”

Parish made the brighter start and the Premier Division outfit brought Dogs goalkeeper Sean Burgess into action on their first meaningful foray into the final third, which stemmed from a solid clearance by Quinn Outerbridge that fortuitously fell to Samario Valasse-Paul.

The winger showed positive intentions to drive into space on the right flank, playing a cross into the penalty area for the awaiting Walker. Burgess was alert but his punch did not have the required distance to get it away from danger, and Armand Foy recycled the attack from the opposite flank.

Foy composed himself and lined up a powerful strike from a tight angle, which David Signor deflected under control with his hand, and referee Anthony Francis pointed to the spot. Walker calmly slotted the resulting spot-kick into the right post, sending Burgess the wrong way.

Tuff Dogs grew into the game and got a penalty of their own when Kyle Hamilton was clumsily taken down by Kyle Wade after they built a neat attack through midfield.

Jahmair Trott stepped up but Parish shot-stopper Chiquon Smith was equal to it, diving to his left and pushing the kick, which was the perfect height for him, around the post.

Undeterred, Dogs found the equaliser just before half time when Trott played provider with a good layoff to Hamilton, who was afforded the freedom of St George’s when sprinting before firing a solid low strike past Smith.

Parish showcased the old football saying “you are at your most vulnerable when you score” by scoring within three minutes of conceding, this time from a set-piece. Justin Bell whipping the free kick into unmarked skipper Mauriq Hill at the far post, and the defender headed down underneath the arms of Burgess.

Tuff Dogs again responded positively but failed to make the correct decisions in the final third despite getting into good positions on numerous occasions, but Parish held on for the slender lead at the break.

Parish got their act together in the second half and found some semblance of control with their passing. Their third goal came when Bell picked out Walker to cut inside, tease a few defenders before side-footing an accurate shot right into the bottom corner past the despairing arms of Burgess.

Both sides had to play the final half-hour with a man light, after Samario Valasse-Paul and Christopher DeSilva were both sent off, the former for violent conduct in his retaliation to a two-footed challenge by the latter on Parish midfielder Aaron Nelson, with a short scuffle ensuing between both sets of players.

Tuff Dogs fought hard to get back into the game and forced Smith into one or two routine saves, but Parish showed their quality and experience to maintain possession and see off the little threat their visitors possessed on the counter-attack.

SCORERS

Hamilton Parish: Walker 12 pen, 52, Hill 36

Tuff Dogs: Hamilton 33

TEAMS

Hamilton Parish (4-2-3-1): C Smith 7 – K Knights 6, Q Outerbridge 6, M Hill 6, K Wade 5 (sub: J Stowe, 89min) – R McKittrick 6 (sub: S McKittrick, 89), A Nelson 7 – S Valasse-Paul 4, J Bell 6, A Foy 5 (sub: K Trott, 89) – M Walker 7 (sub: P Burgess 80). Booked: Bell. Sent off: Valasse-Paul.

Tuff Dogs (4-1-4-1): S Burgess 7 – C DeSilva 4, D Signor 5, S Brown 5 (sub: J Sanchez, 62 5), C Bean 5 – T Brown 6 (sub: J Rogers, 57 6) – M Gerardo 5 (sub: L Simmons, 57 5), K Brown 5, Z White 6 (sub: C Tully, 62 5), K Hamilton 6 – J Trott 5 (sub: A Lee, 85). Substitutes not used: S McKittrick, B Correia; Sent off: DeSilva

Referee: A Francis