PHC Zebras will be keen to christen their new floodlights with a perfect performance when night football returns to PHC Field for the first time in more than 20 years.

In order to celebrate the return of Friday night lights, the main event against North Village has been put back to 9pm to accommodate some former club legends who will be competing at 7pm when Village Masters take on PHC Masters.

It promises to be a memorable occasion but PHC coach Winston Trott Jr is concentrating on the game rather than the effect the infrastructure will have on his players.

“I doubt if any of my players have played under the lights at PHC before,” Trott told The Royal Gazette. “They may have been to a few games, but I doubt if any of them actually played.

“I’m not sure if it provides extra motivation as they are just motivated period. It’s the first league game which should be incentive enough.”

PHC head into the contest with plenty of momentum after winning all three of their Dudley Eve Trophy matches, scoring a staggering fifteen goals and conceding just once on their way to topping the group but Trott is focused only on the future.

“It’s always good to win, but those games are behind us,” Trott said. “We are looking forward now and we have to make sure we settle down and get ready for the next game. Those games are gone so we are not thinking about that any more.”

A former PHC winger, Trott is used to big games and said his players are fully prepared for the first meetingof the two rivals this season.

“The guys are pumped up and they’re ready for the game,” he said. “They have been working hard and this is what we have been working for.

“This is what you do all your preparation and pre-season work for, to make sure that when you get to the first game of the season you are ready, and I think we are prepared. We have put in our work so it’s just a matter of getting a good result.”

Despite having complete confidence in his players, Trott is still wise to the threat posed by North Village.

“They have a good coach and some experienced players,” he said. “So you have to be careful how you deal with them, but we are geared up for it and hopefully we come out with a good result.”

Village are also through to the last eight in the Dudley Eve Trophy after finishing runner-up in their group but Kenny Thompson’s team are still searching for their first win after drawing all three of those matches.

The 2022-23 First Division campaign also kicks off tonight with Bermuda Athletic Association hosting Shield champions Wolves at Goose Gosling Field, starting at 8pm.

*The Bermuda Football Association will be holding the Dudley Eve Trophy quarter-final draw at the Clyde Best Centre of Excellence today.

Holders Devonshire Cougars, Dandy Town, PHC, North Village, X-Roads, Hamilton Parish, Somerset Trojans and Boulevard are the eight teams involved in the draw, which will start at 12:45pm.

Cougars, Town and PHC won their respective groups with X-Roads, North Village and Hamilton Parish finishing runners-up.

Somerset and Boulevard reached the last eight by way of a play-off, which saw Robin Hood and St George’s eliminated.