PHC 0 Hamilton Parish 4

Premier Division leaders PHC Zebras suffered a blow to their title aspirations after they were soundly beaten by Hamilton Parish at PHC Field last night.

Two goals inside the first three minutes of the game by Macquille Walker left PHC on the back foot early and they were unable to plug into the form that had resulted in them going into the match with a two-point gap over St George’s.

Parish took advantage of some more defensive lapses late in the second half with Jordan Outerbridge adding a third in the 78th minute before substitute Kion Knights completed the rout with five minutes remaining.

“That’s a hell of a result!” said Parish head coach Sergio Goater. “PHC are a very good team and I’m just over the moon to beat the league leaders 4-0.

“That gives us a massive platform to build on and shows where our level should be. We’ve shown what we can do and if this doesn’t give them a confidence boost, I don’t know what will.”

With the game barely under way, the visitors broke the deadlock as Aaron Nelson’s driven cross from the left was fumbled by PHC goalkeeper Colebridge Fubler into the path of Walker.

While his first may have had a hint of fortune, his second just a minute later was anything but. With the hosts still shell-shocked, Walker raced on to Outerbridge’s defence-splitting pass before rifling a left-footed strike beyond the reach of Fubler into the top left corner.

As clinical as Parish were on the counterattack, they were just as dogged in defence, keeping PHC at bay with goalkeeper Nigel Burgess alert when called upon, particularly in denying Jenico Sealey and Na’eem Griffith.

With the sound defensive platform to build upon, they added a third when Knights easily beat De’Andre Smith-Lightbourne down the right before picking out Outerbridge for a simple tap-in.

Knights then completed an impressive cameo in the closing stages, latching onto Shayne Hollis’s pass before slipping the ball through the legs of the advancing Fubler to wrap up a memorable evening.

SCORERS

Hamilton Parish: M Walker 2,3; J Outerbridge 78; K Knights 85.

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-5-1): C Fubler 6 - D Usher 6, N Griffith 6, J Bather 6, D Smith-Lightbourne 5 - D Lodge 6, K Abraham 5 (sub: D Dowling, 60min), J Hassell 6, M Warren 7, T Showers 6 (sub: J Sealey, 60 6) - P Simons 6 (sub: K Matthie, 77). Substitutes not used: W Trott, S Trott, K Bean, S Nesbitt.

Hamilton Parish (4-5-1): N Burgess 7 - M Hill 8, M Turner 7, J Bean 7, Z Burgess 7 - A Nelson 8, Q Outerbridge 7 (sub: K Wade, 45 6), J Outerbridge 8, S Hollis 8, C Castle 7 (sub: K Knights, 60 8) - M Walker 8 (sub: C Lindo, 82). Substitutes not used: S McKittrick, J Small, E Furbert, K Richardson. Booked: Hollis.

Referee: M Wyer