PHC 6 X-Roads 0

PHC Zebras redeemed themselves after their Charity Cup loss to North Village last week when they romped to a lop-sided win over X-Roads Warriors in the Dudley Eve Trophy at Devonshire Rec on Saturday night.

T’syi Showers and Jaylon Bather both scored twice with single contributions from Daren Usher and Keishon Bean.

“We’re just growing as a team and learning as we go,” PHC coach Quincy Hunt said.

“We could have been a little more clinical in the first half and a bit more patient in our build-ups but overall this is a good start and we are improving.”

PHC bombarded the X-Roads’ goal from the opening whistle. Bean and Jahiem Iris were both guilty of early misses in the first ten minutes before Usher opened the scoring with a cross-come-shot from wide of the right flank which sailed over X-Roads goalkeeper Q’Shai Darrell’s head into the back of the net.

They would double their lead just three minutes later when Iris and Bean combined to lay a precision pass into the path of Showers, whose low drive beat Darrell at the near post. Bather then ventured forward from the heart of the PHC defence to score two well-taken goals at the back post from set pieces to give the Zebras a 4-0 lead at half time

PHC scored their fifth shortly after the restart when X-Roads midfielder Tyman Daniels was caught in possession, leaving Bean to hit a hard, low drive into the far corner beyond Darrell.

X-Roads made a triple substitute bringing on Aaron Spencer, Tom Whited and Aadil Cajee, which sparked some life into a jaded Warriors’ outfit, with Spencer and Whited in particular teaming up well with midfielder Akim Johnston to penetrate PHC’s left side.

Johnston had a penalty appeal ignored by referee Tashon Simons as he appeared to be bundled over by Bather after dribbling inside the box.

PHC closed out the scoring on the hour mark when Showers’ sneaky backheel eluded Darrell.

To X-Roads’ credit, they did not throw in the towel and they nearly scored a consolation goal when Whited whipped in a glancing header at the near post from a Spencer corner only for PHC goalkeeper Shaquille Trott to make a brilliant, reflex save to keep his clean sheet.

Scorers:

PHC Zebras: D Usher 14, T Showers 17, 60, J Bather 37, 44, T Bean 55

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): S Trott 6 - D Smith-Lightbourne 5, N Griffith 5 (sub: J Sealey 22min, 5), J Bather 8, D Usher 7 -- D Lodge 5, D Dowling 6 (sub: A Burgess 62, 5) - K Abraham 5, J Iris 6 (sub: M Simmons 73), T Showers 8 (sub: S Nisbett 73) - K Bean 7 (J Ebbin 60, 5) Substitutions not used: J Simons, R Hassell. Booked: J Iris.

X-Road Warriors (4-2-3-1): Q Darrell 6 - A Matthews 5 (sub: A Cajee 58, 6), J Smith 6 (sub: J Dill, 85), C Whited 6, O Williams 5 --- T Daniels 6, R Beek 6 --- A Johnston 7, T Lowe 6 (A Spencer 58, 7), K Richardson 5 (sub: T Whited 58, 7) --- D Woolridge 5. Substitutions not used: R Sandher, D Teleman. Booked: T Lowe, K Richardson, R Beek.

Referee: T Simons