Javon Wallace heads home the first of his four goals in the 4-3 victory over the Panthers in the Wendol Williams 2nd round. Photo: Charlie Jackson/VINO

Odain Thompson celebrates his equaliser with team mate Wendal Anthony. Thompson would go on to score a hat trick in the 4-3 defeat. Photo: Charlie Jackson/VINO

Mauricio Geninazzi scored twice to send the Wolues through to the next round with a 2-0 win against East End. Photo: Charlie Jackson/VINO

The match, one of two staged on the A.O. Shirley Ground, had burst into life in the dying seconds of the first half when after going a goal down to the Boys, Odian Thompson scored a scintillating equalizer inside the left hand post from a tight angle.

The tall Wallace, drawing comparisons with Mario Balotelli, then took matters into his own hands scoring 3 second half goals to add to his first half opener and put the Boys firmly in control of the game at 4-1.

However, Thompson wasn’t done either and he responded with two more goals of his own to complete his hat trick and set up a nervy last 15 minutes with the score now at 4-3.

The Panthers pushed forward looking for the equalizer that would give them at least a chance of extra time but left gaps in their defense that the boys looked to exploit. Neither side really came close to adding to their tally, although the Panthers had a very good shout for a handball in the penalty area but it was waived off by the referee.

The Boys were good value for the hard fought victory and Coach Jeffrey Demming was a relieved man at the final whistle.” They came back at us strong and played some tight football. We were lucky to pull it off and it was a good game."

Wallace, making his debut, was the hero and put his second goal down as the best. It resulted when he was on hand at the far post to powerfully head home from a Derol Redhead cross. “It was a great ball in,” he said. “Redhead knocked in a superb deep cross and I was in the right place to finish.”

It’s not often a player scores a hat trick and is on the losing side and Thompson was obviously a little subdued after the game. “In the first half they controlled the tempo of the game, but in the last 20 minutes we fought back well. We have to take some positives from the game and get better as a team.”

Earlier, the Wolues had cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over East End thanks to two goals from Uruguayan Mauricio Geninazzi.

The East End outfit looked like a team that has been out of competitive action a long time and were lucky not to be more than 1 down at half time, with the Wolues having two goals disallowed for infringements.

Both teams struggled to control and pass the ball on what is fast becoming a surface unsuitable for quality football.

At least the Wolues were able to double their total in a scrappy second half, which was full of defensive errors and miss kicks.

As James Shearman commented, “the pitch is making it impossible to play football and that’s not good for the game.”

Interestingly, no one involved in football can remember the problems with the surface occurring before the ground was converted to  a running track, so that is something the BVI Recreation Trust will need to look at amongst all the other things that need their urgent attention.

If a way to maintain it properly and quickly is not found then a much more expensive relaying will have to take place.