Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
IT WAS an eventful day at Elleston Wakeland Centre yesterday with three players seeing red and five goals being scored as Village United won their first game of the season with a 4-1 victory over the previously smooth-flowing Waterhouse.
Following his double on Sunday, which were Village's first goals of the season, Fabian Dawkins was again the hero as he hit a hat-trick. Dawkins' goals came in the 76th, 82nd and 92nd minutes. Jeff Pearce equalised for Village in the 75th minute after Kevin Lamey had put Waterhouse in front in the 56th minute.
After a goalless first half in which both teams proved good competitors, the game burst into life in the second with the renewed pairing of Dawkins and Teofore Bennett looking good for Village United.
OFFSIDE TRAP
The first real spark of the half though was the ejection of defender Roger Rodney for a second bookable offence. However, the home team could not make use of their numerical advantage - at least not yet.
Somewhat surprisingly, it was the numerically inferior Waterhouse that took the lead. They did so from the boot of the veteran Lamey. He sprung the offside trap and was left with just goalkeeper Elvis Hart to beat and he did so with ease, picking his spot and playing out of his reach.
Frome then on Village took the fight to the visitors but could not break them down due to good defending and the goalkeeping of Loxley Reid who stood in for Richard McCallum, who had the flu.
Village were to get back in the game in the 75th minute when Pearce levelled the score with a diving header. A minute later, they were 2-1 up when Dawkins tapped home a lovely cross from Bennett.
In the 78th minute, the game further swung Village's way when Irvino English was ejected for retaliating to a foul committed by Athol Franklyn. Franklyn was also ejected for his second bookable offence.
The home supporters erupted in merriment in the 82nd minute when Dawkins scored his second to send his team 3-1 up. Again this resulted from a cross which he steered home.
The job was completed in the 92nd minute as Dawkins did well to avoid colliding with the left upright as he slid in to guide the ball home. Afterwards he was a pleased man.
"First of all I must congratulate the team because it was a team effort. We all played well but I feel good about getting the triple," said Dawkins who has scored five of Village's six goals for the season.
"It is very good for Village to get the first win and after this we expect to win every match we play," he added.
Waterhouse coach Calvert Fitzgerald said the late withdrawal of three key players, McCallum, Vincent Earle and Kirk Ramsay, affected his team.
GOALSHEET
VILLAGE UNITED
Jeff Pearce 75th
Fabian Dawkins 76th, 82nd, 92nd
WATERHOUSE 1
Kevin Lamey 56th
