PHC Zebras 4 St George’s Colts 0

PHC Zebras maintained their lead in the Premier Division while dealing a potentially fatal blow to the title chance of St George’s Colts at PHC Field on Saturday night.

Captain Marco Warren led the charge for the home side with two goals and an assist, while Jenico Sealey and substitute Shavon Nisbett were also on target.

St George’s midfielder Kashe Hall went closest to scoring for the visiting side with a shot from outside the box that crashed on to the crossbar during a good early spell before PHC struck twice leading up to the interval.

The scoreline flattered PHC as St George’s were unable to capitalise on their chances, particularly in the first half when they piled on the pressure.

“We had to our raise our game because they came to play and played some decent football, but we matched them,” Winston Trott Jr, the PHC coach, said.

“It was basically about the mental part of the game and we were patient and soaked up the pressure and put our chances away.

“This win helps our chances but it’s going to go right down to the end and is not going to be easy,” Trott added.

The result extended PHC’s lead at the top to four points over Devonshire Cougars, who host Hamilton Parish at Devonshire Rec on Sunday (6.30pm).

St George’s took the match to the league leaders from the opening whistle but were nearly caught out on the counter-attack when PHC defender T’ysi Showers’s cross-shot drifted just wide.

St George’s gradually tightened their grip in midfield and began creating chances, with Hall’s curling 20-yard effort from sibling Blaiz Hall’s corner rattling the bar.

Blaiz Hall then missed a glorious opportunity after flicking Jarazinho Bassett’s inviting cross into the side netting from close range, while Kashe Hall had another shot from outside the box sail over the bar after a good move down the middle.

Blaiz Hall then found himself in space inside the box, but was dispossessed by PHC defender Darren Usher, who timed his tackle to perfection.

It seemed only a matter of time before St George’s would break through, but Warren turned the match on its head when he scored directly from a corner, his left-footed inswinger from the right left Jahquil Hill flapping in the 41st minute.

Before they could regroup, St George’s fell further behind when Sealey drilled Paul Simons’s cutback into the roof of the net just four minutes later to thrust PHC firmly into the driver’s seat.

Sealey then went from scorer to provider when play resumed, as his cross from the right side picked out Warren, who shot past Hill to put the match beyond St George’s reach.

A last-ditch tackle in the area denied Simons a clear shot on goal as PHC pressed forward in search of more goals. They were then forced to make a substitution, with Nisbett replacing Keishon Bean, who suffered a blow to the face when challenging St George’s defender Tyrell Burgess for a loose ball.

When play resumed, Hill was called into action again to palm Sealey’s header from Nisbett’s cross on to the bar, while at the other end St George’s substitute Jahron Dickinson curled just wide after getting in behind.

PHC kept their foot on the gas, with Hill producing back-to-back saves to deny Sealey and Simons, the latter from point-blank range, but PHC eventually scored a fourth five minutes from time when Nisbett ran on to Warren’s pass and rifled a low shot in off a post.

PHC goalkeeper Coleridge Fubler then pulled off a fine save to deny St George’s substitute Macai Simmons and preserve a clean sheet.

SCORERS

PHC: Warren 41, 52, Sealey 45, Nisbett 85

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-5-1): C Fubler 7 – T Showers 7, J Bather 7, N Griffith 7, D Usher 7 – D Lodge 7, K Abraham 7, M Warren 8, K Bean 7 (sub: S Nisbett, 62min 7), J Sealey 8 (sub: J Hassell, 90) – P Simons 7. Substitutes not used: S Trott, D Richardson, A McDowall, K Matthie.

St George's Colts (4-3-3): J Hill 6 – E Signor 6 (sub: J Carlington, 72), D Signor 7, T Burgess 7, M Paynter 7 (sub: J Dickinson, 72) – N Paynter 7, M Trott 7, K Hall 7 (sub: M Simmons, 84) – B Hall 7, J Bassett 7 (sub: L Dill, 68 5), J Smith 7. Booked: Trott, Dill. Substitutes not used: G Wade, K Wilson, C Burns.

Referee: K Johnston (United States).