PHC 1 Devonshire Colts 0

In keeping with the standards to which this elimination match lowered itself at St. John's Field yesterday, Devonshire Colts goalkeeper Kevin Bean literally handed PHC a lifeline in the Dudley Eve Trophy.

With little more than 20 seconds remaining in stoppage time, Bean attempted to punch clear a Mike Williams cross but succeeded only in diverting the ball towards goal. Shannon Burgess, the Colts central defender, spotted the danger but when his attempt at a saving header hit the wrong side of the crossbar, it was confirmation that Bean's flapping intervention had sent his team crashing out of the competition.

Until that period, both sides worked hard to improve on indifferent showings in the first round last Tuesday but accomplished little with PHC marginally the better team.

The relief of Mark Wade, the PHC coach, at the final whistle was palpable as the lottery of penalty kicks to decide who goes through to meet Devonshire Cougars in the final elimination match on Tuesday was averted.

"We were looking at the penalty kicking order but really didn't want to get into that lottery," he said. "Fortunately, we got a goal in the dying minutes. Now we've got to prepare ourselves for Boxing Day."

The warning signs for the decisive goal came only a few minutes earlier when Williams, a late replacement for Shawn Russell, fired in a first-time drive after Stephen Astwood played a corner towards the top of the penalty area.

Astwood's involvement in the goal spared his blushes somewhat after he missed the game's best chance, placing a header woefully wide on the end of a cross by the industrious Kevin Richards.

Colts, meanwhile, struggled to make any impression with Damon Ming kept under wraps for the most part by a defence well marshalled by Stanton Lewis while Quincy Aberdeen failed on the few occasions he had to breach openings before being replaced.

"We really didn't show up to play on Tuesday night," Wade added. "But today we improved in all areas of the field. The idea was to shut down Colts' passing game and I think we did that effectively. We had a couple chances that we should have put away. Champions ride their luck, so let's hope this is a good omen."

Astwood, after prompting by the diminutive Jahvon Mallory on the left wing, brought a dull opening half to life on 40 minutes with a vicious right-foot drive that came back off the bar, with Bean only an interested spectator.

The Colts goalkeeper endured a similarly nervous moment when he dealt uncomfortably with a Mallory cross that landed ultimately in the netting behind the goal. And a little later, Richards, who started brightly on the right, tried a speculative volley from 25 yards out that took one bounce past the far upright.

Colts' best chances in the first half fell to Lloyd Holder and McKonnen Hollis, but on each occasion Quincy Hunt, the PHC goalkeeper, was well positioned to make comfortable saves. Hunt was called upon again at the start of the second half when he clutched a Burgess free kick and soon after saved with his feet to deny Keenan Burchall.

The suggestion was that Colts would then assume control but their wheels instead spun into reverse with Burgess at a loss as to explain why.

"We didn't play well at all today," he said. "We didn't play well in the first game, so we only have ourselves to blame. We have to take a look within and see what we can do to rectify what's going wrong."

PHC: Q.Hunt; C.Dowling, S.Lewis, C.Furbert, J.Sealy; J.Raynor, O.Steede, S.Russell (M.Williams, 84 mins); J.Mallory (R.Lightbourne, 70 mins), S.Astwood, K.Richards. Substitutes not used: D.Joell, D.Tucker, D.Wilson.

Devonshire Colts: K.Bean; Jermel Belboda, S.Burgess, M.Hollis, G.Trott; K.Simpson (Jermaine Belboda, 76 mins), K.Burchall, C.Durham; L.Holder, Q.Aberdeen (S.Phillips, 68 mins), D.Ming. Substitutes not used: A.Hendrickson, C.Hill, G.Gibbons.

Men of the match: Kevin Richards (PHC); McKonnen Hollis (Colts).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.