PHC 2 Devonshire Cougars 2

Title contenders PHC fought back from a two-goal deficit to draw against Devonshire Cougars at PHC Field on Sunday.

PHC’s top scorer Enrique Russell scored both goals to keep their chase for a third consecutive league title in sight and peg back Cougars, but despite giving away a two-goal advantage, Cougars coach Kwame Steede was satisfied that his team had travelled west and left with a point.

“I think a point is good,” Steede said. “We came with a point and will leave with one but we shot ourselves in the foot as our mistakes cost us. However, we are not blind to the position that we are in, so I am happy with the point”.

Cougars dominated the opening minutes and took the lead in bizarre circumstances. PHC goalkeeper Quinaceo Hunt collected the ball with only his captain Daren Usher in proximity, but his attempted kick hit the back of Usher, leaving the two players helplessly watching on as the ball rolled slowly over the line and into the back of the net.

In search of an immediate equaliser, D’Andre Wainwright’s free kick missed the upright by inches.

Hunt almost gifted Cougars a second when he allowed Chae Brangman’s overhead kick to slip through his hands but he reacted quickly to recover the ball before it crossed the line.

Cougars doubled their lead in the 26th minute when Brangman was the first to react to Lejaun Simmons’s free kick, which was allowed to bounce in the box, and he toepoked into the back of the net.

PHC pulled a goal back within a couple of minutes when Xave Smith intercepted a weak clearance by Cougars goalkeeper Q’Shai Darrell before slipping the ball to Russell, who kept his composure to slot the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

PHC picked up the tempo from the restart and almost scored when Russell beat goalkeeper Darrell to a through ball but he would sidefoot the ball wide from an angle.

With momentum in their favour, PHC equalised in the 75th minute. A long ball forward was flicked on by Wainwright into the path off Russell, who picked his spot to beat Darrell with a low drive into the bottom left corner.

Hunt did well to preserve a point for PHC when he made a point-blank save from Brangman, who got on to the end of a free kick in the last minute of the game.

Scorers

PHC: Russell 28, 75

Devonshire Cougars: Usher og 9, Brangman 26

Teams

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Quinaceo Hunt 6 — D Smith-Lightbourne 5 (sub: J Sealey, 56min 5), D Usher 6, K Abraham 6, X Smith 6 — K Bean 5 (sub: D Lodge, 87), J Ebbin 5 —-T Showers 5 (sub: J Hassell, 56 5), E Russell 8, A Wade 6 — D Wainwright 6. Substitutes not used: Y Burgess, M Wilson. Booked: Sealey, Quincy Hunt (coach), Abraham, Hassell.

Devonshire Cougars (4-2-3-1): Q Darrell 6 — J Thomas 6, L Millett 6, Z White 6, L Simmons 7 — M Thomas 6, C Caisey 6 — C Burns 6, D Coddington 7, E Darrell 6 (sub: J Brimmer, 78) — C Brangman 7. Substitutes not used: J Wade, D Daniels, S Burrows. Booked: Caisey.

Referee: D Jackson