Reggae Boy Daniel Johnson, a midfielder deputized at left wing-back, struck twice to spearhead Preston North End’s 3-1 victory at already-relegated Barnsley in the second-tier English Championship on Saturday.
Aiden Marsh gave the home side the lead, volleying home from Victor Adeboyejo’s 17th-minute cutback. Still, Preston took charge and was level six minutes later after Emil Riis Jakobsen played in Johnson to score in the bottom right corner.
Johnson, 29, born in Jamaica but raised in England, scored again with an even better strike into the same side of the goal 10 minutes into the second half, before Danish forward Riis Jakobsen made the game safe with his 19th goal of the season.
Johnson, who made his debut for the Reggae Boyz two years ago, has netted eight times for 14th-placed Preston this season and scored Jamaica’s goal in their 2-1 defeat against Mexico in a World Cup qualifier in January.
“It’s never a good feeling when you go a goal behind, but we stuck to the game plan, moved the ball, stayed calm, and tried to open them up as much as possible,” Johnson said.
“We got the three goals and probably could have got more.”
Speaking about his preparation to play out of position, he said: “It’s been pretty much the same as normal really, go out and give it you’re all. I knew from yesterday, so I was trying to get my head around it, and that’s part and parcel of the game.”
In southwest London, St Kitts and Nevis international Michael Nottingham helped confirm League One side AFC Wimbledon’s relegation to League Two when he netted for mid-table Accrington Stanley – his eighth goal of the campaign – as the visitors edged a seven-goal thriller.
Playing at Plough Lane, first-half goals from Jay Rich-Baghuelou, Colby Bishop, and 33-year-old Nottingham, a six-foot, four-inch defender, ended any slim hopes of a miraculous final-day escape for the hosts. However, they did restore some pride with late efforts before going down 4-3.
In the southeast of the country, 27-year-old Guyana Jaguars winger Anthony Jeffrey helped sixth-tier National League South bottom club Billericay Town edge Eastbourne Borough 2-1 with a seventh-minute goal.
Jamaican striker Jamille Matt, 32, took his overall goal tally to 20. Still, his first-half injury-time penalty proved to be only a consolation as faltering Forest Green Rovers relinquished the top spot in League Two for the first time since September, crashing 3-1 at home to 17th-placed Harrogate Town.
Forest Green ensured promotion to League One with a 0-0 draw at Bristol Rovers last Saturday but lost at Swindon Town on Tuesday night and have now been overtaken at the top of the table by Exeter City, who moved a point clear after a 1-1 draw at third-placed Northampton Town with one match remaining.
Jack Muldoon put Harrogate ahead from the spot in the first half before captain Matt netted the equalizer after Kane Wilson, who conceded Harrogate’s penalty, had been tripped in the box by Town skipper Warren Burrell.
Earlier, Harrogate goalkeeper Joe Cracknell kept the scoreline blank by clawing away a point-blank Matt header.
Dagenham & Redbridge kept their outside fifth-tier National League play-off hopes alive with a 2-1 win at Wealdstone, with Jamaican striker Junior Morias grabbing his 13th goal of the campaign.
In eighth place and bidding to extend their unbeaten run to six matches, the Daggers went in front after 23 minutes when Morias, 26, slipped the ball under the Wealdstone goalkeeper.
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