Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

AUGUST TOWN strengthened their ambitions of continuing life in the top flight when they inched away from the Cash Plus Premier League (CPPL) relegation zone with a 3-2 win over Village United in an exciting battle of the cellar dwellers at the UWI Bowl yesterday.

The fight for maximum points and their fourth win of the season was a tough one for home team August Town as they had to restore the lead on two occasions before seeing off a determined Village.

A classy finish from David Laylor, which saw him drift down the right flank before chipping the ball over the head of exposed Village custodian Elvis Hart and into the far left corner of the goal, gave the home team the lead in the 25th minute.

Level terms

The persistent Trelawny team got back on level terms when defender Troy Smith fired a powerfully struck free kick, spotted 25 yards away from goal, over the wall and safely out of the reach of August Town custodian Devon Haughton in the 51st minute.

The lead would, however, be a short-lived one as, seven minutes later, lethal dead-ball specialist Daniel Shaw, from pretty much the same distance, struck the post with a low-dipping free kick, allowing Shawn Henry to toe home from close range.

Substitute Newton Sterling sprinted away from a flat August Town back line and goalkeeper Haughton to see Village back on level terms in the 65th minute. But the struggling team made a crucial mistake when they conceded another free kick just outside the area.

Shaw continued to be a menace to opponents and a major factor in the team's thrust for safety, when he stepped up and whipped a free kick which gently kissed the left goalpost before finding its way behind fully stretched Village keeper Hart. The free kick was the fifth in as many games for the the crafty midfielder.

"We were very indisciplined today in the last part when we should have been looking to pull one back ... almost everyone lost their positions," lamented Village coach Paul 'Tegat' Davis.

"We were also a bit unlucky though because we definitely got the opportunities," he said. August Town coach Hugh McCarthy was glad for the win but thought his team was poor defensively . "We were eventually able to outscore them and are glad for the win but we made some sloppy defensive errors out their today." he said.The win saw August Town move to ninth place with 16 points while Village remain rooted at the bottom of the table with nine.

August Town 3

David Laylor 25th, Shawn Henry 58th, Daniel Shaw 71st

Village United 2

Troy Smith 51st, Newton Sterling 65th