PHC Zebras remain at the top of the Premier Division table after coming back from two goals down to seize a point against North Village Rams in an evenly-fought 2-2 contest at Bernard Park yesterday.

After first-half goals from Keishen Bean and Thomas Watson, the visiting side earned a share of the spoils with Na’eem Griffin heading home in the 56th minute and Shakir Smith equalising in the 73rd.

Mark Wade, the PHC coach, said that he was impressed with the character his players displayed to fight back after conceding twice during a 20-minute “shaky spell” in the first half.

“It was a bit concerning that we lost our momentum after making a decent start to the game,” he said.

“We made some adjustments after conceding twice during a shaky 20-minute period and showed good character to earn a point.

“As a coach, you’re never happy and you’re always looking for ways to improve the team. Overall, though, it’s not been a bad start to the season and today was another little building block for us.”

Wade’s side started brightly with Shakir Smith, the PHC striker, going close with a rasping drive from the edge of the area that flew just wide of the post.

Village, wearing their customary pink kit for the month of October in support of the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign, were given a stern talking to by Ralph Bean, the team’s coach, during a first-half drinks break, which seemed to spark his players into life. They responded almost immediately to the dressing down, with Bean, the team’s captain, latching onto a superb through ball from midfielder Jonathan Briers, holding off two defenders before picking his spot past Daniel Adams, the PHC goalkeeper on the half-hour mark.

Village then doubled their lead ten minutes later when Watson, the holding midfielder, finished from close range after winger Tyrell Burgess had driven a left-foot cross invitingly into his path.

After the interval, Bean came agonisingly close to extending Village’s lead and perhaps putting the game out of PHC’s reach when he struck the outside of the post from a difficult chance.

Moments later, PHC made Village pay for Bean’s missed opportunity, reducing the deficit when defender Griffin rose the highest to power a header past Hall from an outswinging corner by Smith.

It was Smith who struck a superb leveller for Zebras when he pounced on a through ball and exquisitely lifting his shot high over the onrushing Hall and into the empty net.

The closest Village came to finding the winner was through the busy Bean who acrobatically volleyed a Jason Davis’s left-wing cross just wide.