PHC Zebras galloped away with the Player Development League Knockout Cup title after beating league champions Dandy Town at the National Stadium yesterday.

Three second-half goals inside of 18 minutes ripped the heart out of Town and denied them a PDL double.

Tahjae Welch opened the scoring in the 67th minute and before Town knew what had hit them Omari Tucker doubled PHC’s advantage two minutes later.

Shakir Smith then killed the game off with an 85th minute thunderbolt.

An entertaining match, however, was marred when Swayne Campbell, the Town goalkeeper, and Diondre Dowling, the PHC midfielder, were sent off after an altercation in the 80th minute.

“I felt we were dominant throughout the game,” Daren Usher, the PHC captain, said. “We kept it simple in the first half and did what we had to do in the second to get the victory.

“The key to our victory was the hard work and dedication that we have displayed throughout the whole tournament which carried over to this game.”

Very little separated the two teams until PHC pulled away midway through the second half.

Despite torrential downpours at the start of the match, which made the conditions slick, both teams played an attractive brand of composed and organised football and used every bit of width on offer on the spacious pitch.

Tucker, the PHC striker, pounced on a defensive mix-up but shot over an empty goal before Campbell was forced to tip Smith’s 30-yard free kick over the crossbar.

Town should have had taken the lead at the break, but Ayshaun Smith, the Town striker, blasted over after a neat build up, while Cecoy Robinson, the PHC goalkeeper, had to race off his line to thwart Hubert Butterfield.

Town’s best effort fell to Eusebio Blankendal who dragged a shot wide from close range with only Robinson to beat.

Those missed opportunities came back to haunt Town as PHC made their dominance of possession count after taking control of the midfield.

Welch scored the winner with a spectacular volley from 30 yards that left Campbell clutching at thin air. The PHC forward latched onto a partial clearance and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Sloppy goalkeeping led to PHC’s second goal two minutes later. Campbell fumbled a high ball played in the box, leaving Tucker with the simple task of slotting home.

Tempers flared in the dying stages with Campbell and Dowling were both dismissed for violent conduct by referee Anthony Bailey, whose son Antonio played in the match for Town.

Smith made certain there would be no way back for Town with a thumping goal late on, finishing from an angle.