Battling Boys Town stuns Marverley with late winner

Photo: Daemion Benjamin battles with Philip Peddie for possession of the ball during the Red Stripe Premier League game between Boys Town FC and Marverley/Hughenden FC at the Barbican Field on Sunday. Boys Town won the game 1-0 courtesy of a 91st minute goal from striker Shamar Nicholson.

A late goal from their leading scorer Shamar Nicholson was enough to give ten man Boys Town all three points against fellow strugglers Marverley/Hughenden at the Barbican Field, in the Red Stripe Premier League on Sunday.

The visiting Marverley team began the game brightly and Boys Town central defender Shane Ellis received a booking in the first minute for a professional foul on Nicholas Scott. Marverley dominated possession for the first fifteen minutes but failed to trouble Kirk Porter in the Boys Town goal.

The first real opening came when Daemion Benjamin delivered a telling cross for Nicholson who jumped too early and was unable to direct his header on target.

Marverley keeper Jovell Plunkett was called into action when he had to dive low to his left to keep out Jamiel Hardware’s free kick that was headed for the bottom left hand corner of the goal.

Plunkett who was the busier of the two goal keepers had to be alert once again, punching clear a curling corner kick that was heading for the back of the net.

At the other end, sharp defending from Kevon Wilson denied Phillip Peddie from inside the box as his goal bound shot was glanced over for a corner kick.

Hardwarre also came close again when he superbly brought the ball under control near the edge of the area before firing a shot that whizzed pass the post.

Plunkett was at his best once more in the final minute of the half, when he tipped over a left footed strike from Campbell from the edge of the box that was headed for the top corner of the net.

Boys Town continued to dominate on the resumption and should have been taken the lead in the 57^th minute when the willing runner Xavian Virgo delivered a pin point cross for Hardware, who missed his header from three yards out.

Five minutes later Boys Town was reduced to 10 players when Ellis received a second yellow for yet another late challenge.

Despite the setback Boy Town continued to take the game to the visitors who seemed to be the ones playing a man down.

Plunkett pulled off a brilliant double save to keep the scores level and injured himself in the process. First he saved with his feet to keep out Hardware before diving to his left to keep out the goal bound header from Nicholson who reacted quickest to the rebound.

Roberto Fletcher tested Kirk Porter late on, when he arrived at the back post to get on the end of an Andrew Whyte free kick. The veteran keeper showed good reflexes to grab hold of the ball that was travelling at great speed.

But Boys Town kept plugging away and were rewarded for their efforts when an unmarked Nicholson thundered home the header at the near post from another Virgo cross to break the hearts of the Marverley faithful in the first minute of extra time.

Despite remaining in 12^th place, Boys Town has now moved up to 26 points, level with Jamalco FC and two behind Marverley with five sets of games to play.

“All games that we play for the rest of the season is very important, every single game, especially the ones we play at home and this was a home game and it was very important that we got all three points. We fought till the bitter end even down to ten men, even into time added on and we actually got the winner because we had the resolve. We have to start winning games from now on,” said a defiant Andrew Price.

“Losing Wayne (Ellis) so early in the econd half, we didnt look at it as a set back we looked at it as an opportunity we decided to go three at the back push three people forward and we really took the game to Marverley. We were patient, we continued to rattle them until we got the winning goal.

“If we continue to play with this kind of passion and try and go for every game as a cup final, I think we can survive. We are going to fight to the bitter end and see where it leaves us,” Price said with a steely resolve in his voice.