Robin Hood 1 PHC Zebras 1

Hood win 3-1 after extra time

Robin Hood struck a double salvo in extra time to finally see off a spirited PHC Zebras and advance to a second straight Dudley Eve Trophy final at Goose Gosling Field last night.

Hood led 1-0 at the half after a Daren Usher own goal but PHC rallied after the break with Tre Ming grabbing an equaliser to send a fiercely contested semi-final to extra time.

Hood regained the lead in the 99th minute through Justin Corday’s free kick and then put the game beyond reach after substitute Ereico Outerbridge came off the bench and netted on his first possession.

“It’s always a tight game against PHC,” John Barry Nusum, the Hood coach, said. “We know they are coming, they know we are coming and I thought it was good football tonight. Both sides tried to play good football and the 1-1 scoreline suggested it.”

Nusum admitted that his team should had the game sewn up in regulation time given the amount of chances they squandered.

“We had some chances where at least one of them we have to be a little more clinical on,” he said.

“But again we take the positives out of it and we guys fought. They came back and a lot of teams, once they get that goal back in, that’s a momentum shifter.

“We came in before extra time, had a talk about it and just tried to put the best effort we could in and it worked out for us.”

Hood built up a good head of steam from the opening kick off and tested PHC goalkeeper Shaquille Trott on several occasions during a good spell of possession.

Their persistence finally paid off when captain Lejuan Simmons’s low drive took a wicked deflection off of Usher’s boot at the near post.

Hood should have added another but Tomiko Goater failed to connect with Simmons’s inviting cross at the far post. Colin Ryan then saw his effort from outside of the box saved by Trott.

Nusum’s side were forced to make an unscheduled substitute after defender Ashton Bell limped off with a leg muscle strain.

Hood kept the pressure on but only had Usher’s own goal to show for at the interval.

Nusum’s team picked up where they left off when play resumed with Antwan Russell just failing to get on the end of Jaylon Bather’s diagonal cross. Substitute Shakir Smith also had a shot drift wide while PHC survived a goalmouth scramble.

Those missed opportunities came back to haunt Hood as Ming latched onto a pass from midfield, rounded Hood goalkeeper Dale Eve and slotted into the empty net to brings the teams level.

PHC threatened again with extra time looming, but this time Eve was equal to the task as he turned Ming’s angled drive around the post.

Trott made a superb reflex save during the first period of extra time to deny Goater from close range before Corday grabbed what proved to be the winner when his low free kick sneaked in at the far post.

Outerbridge then cushioned Hood’s advantage in the second period of extra time after tapping in fellow substitute London Steele’s pass from close range.

“Two substitutes combined for the last one which was good too see,” Nusum added.

“Those guys haven’t had a lot of minutes and they have gotten on and made a contribution for us that can only help the team.”

SCORERS

Robin Hood: Usher og 15, Corday 99, Outerbridge 112

PHC Zebras: Ming 79

TEAMS

Robin Hood (4-2-3-1): D Eve — A Bell (sub: S Smith, 40min), J Bather, D Williams, J Pereira (sub: C Castle, 80) — P Parsons, C Ryan, J Corday (sub: E Outerbridge, 111), L Simmons (sub: L Steele, 106), T Goater — A Russell. Booked: Goater, Parsons, Castle.

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): S Trott — D Usher (sub: Z Weller, 118min), D Dowling, M Lambe, S Trott (sub: K Hypolite, 111) — N Griffith, De-Aun Lodge (sub: J Sealey, 62), M Warren, J Warren-Smith (sub: Z Lee, 80min), T Ming — C Robinson. Booked: Griffith, Lodge, Warren-Smith, Ming. Substitutes not used: T Place, M Wilson, B DeGrilla.

Referee: M Wyer.