Robin Hood 0 PHC Zebras 1

College student Kole Hall came off the bench to score the game’s only goal as holders PHC Zebras reached a nineteenth Friendship Trophy final at Lord’s, St David’s, yesterday.

Hall, who is in school in Somerset, England, was in the right place to net from close range after Cecoy Robinson’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Hood goalkeeper Dale Eve.

“I was happy because it was late in the game, dying minutes, and we didn’t want to go into extra time,” said Hall, 20.

“I’m happy [to be in the final], I don’t get to play that much because I’m away in school, but now I’m back, happy to score and move us into the final.”

With the match still in the balance in the 88th minute, PHC thought they had a penalty when the same two players were involved in a battle for the ball. Eve appeared to knock Hall down but referee Martin Wyer ignored calls from the PHC bench for a penalty.

Hall almost added a second goal moments later when he got through inside the box before Eve deflected his effort around the near post. Then, in extra time, Eve saved a shot from Robinson as PHC hung on for the victory.

It was Hood’s first defeat since the Zebras beat them in the Charity Cup in September.

Scott Morton, the PHC coach, was happy that Hall’s introduction paid off, after he came on in the 75th minute for Keishon Bean, another overseas student, to give PHC a strong presence up front.

“You can get used to a certain player you have seen week in and week out, so we thought he would be a better substitute to bring in and try to create something,” said Morton, who admitted it was not the exciting contest many had anticipated between the top two teams in the Premier Division.

“We’ve got to play a lot better because Dandy Town are improving,” Morton said of his team’s New Year’s Day opponents.

Hood had a good early chance to break the deadlock when Shakir Smith’s run down the left flank in the seventh minute led to a cross that went untouched inside the box. They went close again midway through the half when an error by defender Mikey Lambe created an opportunity for Tomiko Goater who crossed for Antwan Russell to shoot wide of the far post.

Hood did have the ball in the net in the 40th minute when Smith challenged goalkeeper Shaquille Trott to a high ball and manage to steer it over the line before Wyer’s whistle went for a foul by Smith.

Trott made two good saves before and after the interval to keep PHC in the game. First, he made a good save to Lejaun Simmons’s shot in added time that looked headed into the top corner. Then, two minutes after the restart, Trott made a vital one-handed save at the far post after a cross found Smith unmarked.

PHC lacked cutting edge up front, with one of their best chances coming on the hour mark when full back DeAndre Smith-Lightbourne’s long ball found Robinson at the far post but his side-footed effort went over the crossbar. Smith had a similarly good effort at the other end when Antwan Russell’s cross set him up at the back post but he put his first-time shot over the top. Trott made another crucial save minutes later when he turned Goater’s shot against the near post before Marco Warren’s free kick at the other end brought off a brilliant save from Eve.

Goals

PHC Zebras: Hall, 78

TEAMS

Robin Hood (4-3-3): D Eve — C Castle, D Andrade, D Williams (sub: L Symonds, 82min), T Sabir — T Goater, A Nelson (sub: J Nusum 88), P Parsons — A Russell, L Simmons, S Smith. Substitutes not used: T Bean, E Outerbridge, C Ricca, A Astwood. Booked: Russell.

PHC Zebras (4-5-1): Shaquille Trott — D Usher (sub: Shakhai Trott, 85); M Lambe, N Griffith, D Smith-Lightbourne — R DeShields, T Ming, M Waldron, M Warren, K Bean (sub: K Hall, 75) — C Robinson. Substitutes not used: C Thomas, Z Lee, D Lodge, K Hypolite, J Iris.

Referee: M Wyer.