North 0, Sylvans 3

THE season should still belong to North, but last night belonged to Sylvans. There was enough in their second-half performance to prove that the chocolate-and-blues have the fight in them to take the title, but by then the game was virtually lost already.

Sylvans hurtled out of the blocks in the first half and played with an intensity that no side on the island would have been able to resist.

By the time their opening goal came on 27min., they had already created half-a-dozen decent chances.

When they finally broke the deadlock it was unfortunately a controversial goal as linesman Ian Drillot adjudged that the ball had crossed the line from Matt Warren’s half-blocked volley before Darren Martin cleared.

North were adamant that it should not have been awarded but they were not going to change the official’s mind.

In truth, it was no less than Sylvans deserved and four minutes later they doubled their lead as Ryan Tippett gratefully accepted the gift presented to him inside the box when Martin and Stuart Polson collided going for the same ball.

The Muratti striker almost added a third before the break but fired just wide from Sam Matthews’ neat pass.

North improved markedly in the second half but they knew it was not going to be their night in the opening 15 minutes of the period as Simon Tostevin twice headed wide and two decent penalty appeals were turned down.

Lee Renouf, who is adding a calming influence at centre back for the westerners, then cleared off the line after Paul de Garis had got a hand to Dave Rihoy’s shot before Sylvans got the match-killing third.

It came with quarter-of-an-hour remaining. Warren rose to win the initial header from Tom Duff’s right wing cross and an unmarked Tippett nodded home.

To rub salt into the wounds, Tostevin had a goal disallowed for offside late on after de Garis had made a good parry of Rihoy’s sweet strike.