PHC Zebras 3 Dandy Town 1

PHC took firm control of their Friendship Trophy semi-final at Goose Gosling Field yesterday when Dandy Town were hit by a three-goal salvo either side of half-time.

Town were made to pay for some early misses, including a first-minute chance when defender Mikey Lambe lost his footing in the penalty box. Fortunately for PHC, David Jones, returning home for the festive period from England, put his effort just wide of the far post.

Despite missing Kwame Steede, Drewonde Bascome and Jahmel Swan, Town posed a threat early on. They created another good chance late in the first half when Oneko Lowe got through down the right before goalkeeper Stefan Dill hurried off his line to block the shot.

Another chance fell to Town a couple of minutes later when Jones crossed from the right and Jahtino Richardson-Martin wasted the chance. Inevitably the misses came back to haunt Town who fell behind just before the break when K’wonde Lathan was penalised for a handball by referee Anthony Francis and captain Cecoy Robinson duly converted the spot kick.

It may have been an undeserved lead at the break, but PHC immediately looked a different team after the restart as Town were hit by two goals in three minutes early in the second half.

Midfielder Marco Warren planted his shot into the far post after a cross from the left by Keishon Bean.

Before Hornets could respond, PHC struck a third a few minutes later when Sharrieff placed a fierce shot from 20 yards into the goalkeeper’s right-hand corner.

Town made a quick response, when Damon Ming’s penalty kept alive their hopes of a fightback. Francis blew for a foul on Lowe by Lambe and Ming confidently converted the penalty.

Sharrieff then had an effort ruled out for a foul on the edge of the penalty area.

With PHC controlling the midfield and Angelo Simmons, Town’s main scoring threat, having a quiet game, Zebras had the luxury of introducing defender Johnny Ball late in the final 15 minutes to make sure of a victory that guarantees another meeting with Devonshire Cougars in a final this season after the teams met in the Dudley Eve Trophy last month.

“We felt we dominated the first half and should have been leading by a couple of goals,” Jomar Wilkinson, the Town coach, said. “When you don’t put your chances away it comes back to haunt you against a good team and that’s what happened today.

“I thought they were fortunate to get the penalty, but we had enough chances to be in a different position by then. I thought our form was good coming into this competition and was really excited about being in the semi-finals and possibly making it into another final. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”

SCORERS

PHC Zebras

Robinson 41 pen, Warren 52, Sharrieff 55

Dandy Town

Ming 62 pen

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-5-1): S Dill — D Usher, N Griffith, M Lambe, K Abraham — T Ming (sub: T Hall, 67min), M Waldron, K Bean, M Warren (sub: M Simmons, 90), C Robinson — I Sharrieff (sub: J Ball, 74). Substitutes not used: S Trott, D Davis, K Matthie, O Tucker. Booked: Bean.

Dandy Town (4-4-2): A Daniels — J Stowe, K Lathan, K Wade, K Tucker — D Williams (sub: T Goater, 72), D Jones, D Ming, J Richardson-Martin (sub: A Lewis, 56) — Q Lowe, A Simmons. Substitutes not used: N Gibbons, E Blankendal, Z Burchall, S Darrell, L Millett. Booked: Williams.

Referee: A Francis.