St David’s 1

PHC 2

(aet; 1-1 at 90min)

In cool, blustery and rainy conditions at Lord’s in St David’s, PHC Zebras’ scoring woes continued.

However, their scoring misfortunes would change at the tailend of the second period of extra time when they found the net, courtesy of Jahnai Raynor’s shot from just inside the box in the 112th minute of play.

It would be Zebras who opened the scoring when St David’s goalkeeper, Kaylin Darrell, created a clearance blunder, allowing winger, Lonnie Bascome, to swoop in and steal the ball, round his defender and fire in a searching cross to a streaking Kadeem Abraham who wasted no time dispatching his shot to the back of the net from six yards out in the 41st minute.

Darrell had sustained a serious knock minutes earlier into the game that hampered his mobility throughout the course of the match. Finding no sympathy from PHC, Darrell’s goalkeeping heroics would be called on regularly to keep his side in contention.

With PHC struggling to find their scoring range, the game was made more competitive than it otherwise might have been.

After taking a one-goal lead into the second half, Zebras launched repeated raids on the St David’s goal only to be frustrated time and again by the stellar play of Darrell and their own shooting ineptness. Zebras would soon pay for their poor long-range shooting, with St David’s finding an equaliser.

After some creative play by St David’s up the middle of the pitch, Jamal Woodley latched on to a pass and fed Shakir Robinson who raced on goal and unleashed a shot past Zebras goalkeeper Jay Smith to even the score in the 52nd minute.

With the marauding Zebras’ inability to score at critical times, St David’s confidence began to grow creating more unease among the Zebras players and their bench.

With the start of the second period of extra time, both teams picked up the pace, pressing desperately for the go-ahead goal.

In the 112th minute, Raynor, received a floating cross from Cecoy Robinson from just outside the right side of the penalty box. The unmarked Raynor did well to skilfully chest the ball and fire home to secure their elusive second goal and gallop away with the win.