A well-struck goal by defender Eddy Dowling seven minutes into the second half brought PHC the point they fully deserved from an often scrappy match at Somerset on Saturday night.

The young Zebras clearly did enough to run away comfortable winners but were constantly denied by the athletic intervention of Boulevard 'keeper Antoine Tuzo, and some wayward shooting.

Still, it seemed a cruel injustice that they would go behind as early as the first minute to a Kenneth Darrell penalty.

PHC were forced to wait almost 15 minutes for Boulevard to take the field as referee Anthony Mouchette allowed no less than three late-arriving Blazers, including influential defender Leroy Stevens, to suit up.

And before most of them were warm, the unlucky Vic Ball handled as he attempted to head clear Robert Wilson's long throw from the right.

Darrell's kick was precise, low to the 'keeper's right, and Boulevard were suddenly at the ready.

PHC carried the game for most of the half with Dano Outerbridge smashing a 30-yard free kick against the bar in the 15th minute. Tuzo recovered superbly to deflect Kenny Mills' rebound over.

The Zebras should have been level on 27 minutes -- and no one had more incentive than Ball.

Astwood was in menacing form early on and had another goal-bound shot that Tuzo did well to palm away. But the Boulevard defence was at sixes and sevens, leaving Ball with the seemingly simple task of side-footing into the unguarded net from 12 yards.

Alas, there was only anguish for the midfield man as the ball sliced off his foot. Ball compounded this by becoming one of four players to go into Mouchette's book in the first half -- for a two-footed tackle.

Boulevard clearly lacked the steel in midfield to cope with PHC but they strengthened towards the latter stages and might have stolen a second before the break.

Outerbridge and Roderick Lewis, the PHC central defensive pairing, almost combined to score past their own 'keeper in the 39th minute then midfielder Stevie Wade made a rare break and crossed for Shakia Crockwell to head over.

Quincy Hunt in the PHC goal, whose most significant contribution hitherto was to earn a yellow card for felling a streaking Crockwell on the edge of the area, made a mess of a punched clearance in the 42nd minute. But all was forgiven as Wade made an equal hash of the volley presented.

Astwood had the ball in the net on 49 minutes but his right-foot volley was ruled out for offside.

Three minutes later, though, there was no stopping the Zebras. Tuzo twice saved well after his defence was breached by Mills and Astwood, but Dowling popped up from 18 yards out to hit a low, left-foot drive that the scrambling 'keeper had no answer for.

Tuzo picked up a thigh injury midway through the second half which clearly impaired his judgement, especially when coming to claim crosses.

And that made for a few moments of hysteria in the Boulevard penalty area.

Stevens saved the point for his team when he headed a Mills volley off the line after substitute Tillman Darrell made the early running.

PHC: Q.Hunt; E.Dowling, D.Outerbridge, R.Lewis, E.Hunt; A.Washington, V.Ball (C.Furbert, 55 mins), O.Steede; R.Lightbourne (D.Wilson, 68 mins), K.Mills, S.Astwood (T.Darrell 76 mins).

Boulevard: A.Tuzo; V.Eve, L.Stevens, D.Smith, R.Wilson; D.Samuels (A.Brown, 65 mins), K.Darrell, S.Wade; S.Crockwell, L.Crofton (L.Dill, 73 mins), S.Hewey (V.Phillips, 60 mins).

Referee: Anthony Mouchette.

Men of the match: Kenny Mills (PHC); Antoine Tuzo (Boulevard).

Yellow cards: Robert Wilson (Boulevard), Quincy Hunt (PHC), Dean Smith (Boulevard), Vic Ball (PHC).

Red cards: None.