Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
VILLAGE UNITED kept their positive run at home going yesterday with a 1-0 win over Boys' Town in the NPL yesterday.
Omar Allen, who started in place of the injured Newton Sterling, gave the home crowd at Elliston Wakeland Centre something cheer about with his 70th-minute strike. The goal was a just reward for Allen who consistently looked like the Village player most likely to score.
Despite Allen's constant threat and goal, the match could have turned out differently had the hard-working Boys' Town found the back of the net in the first half. While Village had more possession in the first half they looked as if they were still on holidays.
Boys' Town looked more organised and penetrative in attack. They could have taken the lead as early as the sixth minute when Jermaine Bailey sent Michael Campbell clear down the right flank. He cut inside and sent a non-threatening shot goalwards which was easily collected by 'keeper Elvis Hart.
CENTRE CAME TO LIFE
The Elleston Wakeland Centre gathering came to life in the 32nd minute when Allen's screaming drive from the right of the 18-yard box just missed the far post as goalkeeper Philmore Crumbie looked on, rooted to his spot.
Two minutes later, Boys' Town got another lovely chance when George Vernal, last week's hero against Seba, beat the offside trap, lobbed the on-rushing Hart and watched in agony as the ball went just wide.
Village looked a different team in the second half as Shane Crawford, Ian McAnuff and Teofore Bennett began to have more of an impact on the game. They could have taken the lead just nine minutes into the half but Allen shot across the face of the goal from an acute angle after being played in by Fabian Dawkins.
A minute later, Vernal again came to life when he waltzed by a defender on the right of the 18-yard box, swivelled and sent a left-footer goalwards. It took a brilliant effort from Hart to keep it out.
BENNETT RAN RIOT
From then on it was Village's game to lose as Bennett ran riot down the left flank and substitute Nicardo Folkes added some good crosses along with his physical play down the right flank. It was a Folkes' cross which was tapped in at the far post by Allen following a Dawkins' dummy.
The game got ugly in the 78th minute when Boys' Town captain Fitzroy Anglin was ejected for retaliating to a slap from Folkes with a butt and was promptly dismissed.
"Well, the age-old adage is that goals win games and we got quite a number of chances in the first half that we should have put away and did not and they came back to haunt us in the second half," said Boys' Town's coach, Andrew Price, at the end of the match.
"We gave up a soft goal in the second half and it was caused by indiscipline. No one was marking the player at the back post and he got an easy tap-in. Under no circumstances should that happen in a game," he said.
Village's Dr Dean Weatherly said his team took advantage of certain weaknesses in the Boys' Town team.
"We basically manipulated the wings. We took advantage of both their lack of speed on the wings and swung in the crosses. They brought back (O'Neil) Thompson in defence to cut out our crosses but there was only so much that he could do," said Weatherly.
"We took advantage of our height and our senior players led by example. Shane Crawford gave me a full 90 minutes for the first in a long while. Himself and McAnuff did very well," he said.
GOALSHEET
Village United 1
Omar Allen (70th)
Boys' Town 0
