Devonshire Colts 1 PHC Zebras 2

PHC Zebras kept hot on the heels of Premier Division leaders North Village with a narrow victory over relegation-threatened Devonshire Colts at Police Field yesterday.

Jaavaid Warren-Smith’s mis-hit put Zebras in front before Mazhye Burchall’s composed finish doubled the visiting side’s lead. Kyle Jones pulled one back for the home side in the closing stages but PHC held on to secure maximum points.

Colts came flying out of the blocks and with the wind on their backs kept PHC pinned down for long spells in search of the breakthrough.

The home side carved out space in the attacking third but lacked the cutting edge needed to slice open PHC’s defence led by centre back Na’eem Griffith.

Zebras settled into a rhythm and after stretching their opponents mounted wave after wave of attacks with a goal seeming imminent.

Warren-Smith and fellow forward Idress Sharrieff had plenty of good looks at goal but were unable to capitalise.

The visiting side’s best chance of the first half fell to Warren-Smith who took one touch too many on a breakaway and wasted Marquel Waldron’s defence-splitting pass from midfield.

Displeased with his team’s first-half performance, Scott Morton, the PHC coach, read his players the riot act at the half and it seemed to do the trick as PHC started the second half with a greater sense of urgency and finally made the breakthrough through Warren-Smith who made amends for earlier misses.

Cecoy Robinson, the PHC captain, started the move from midfield when he played the ball to Sharrieff into open space out wide.

The PHC striker rode a tackle in the box before squaring the ball in the middle where Warren-Smith was spared the blushes as his mis-hit trickled into the far bottom corner past the outstretched hands of Gregory Rose, the Colts goalkeeper.

Burchall went close to doubling PHC’s advantage with a deft lob that Rose managed to save.

However, there was no denying the Bermuda Under-20 forward moments later. Sharrieff fed a diagonal pass into the box to Burchall who beat Rose at his near post with first-time drive from an angle.

At this juncture PHC were cruising along to victory but they hit a bump in the road when Jones pounced on some loose defending to bury Domonic Lambe’s pass in the box.

Colts pressed for an equaliser but were fortunate not to fall further behind as PHC went close twice in the dying stages of the match.

Sharrieff watched in disbelief as his ambitious 20-yard lob struck the woodwork while Burchall created space for himself inside the box before firing into the side-netting.

PHC’s ninth win of the season keeps them one-point adrift of leaders Village.

SCORERS

Devonshire Colts

Jones 74

PHC Zebras

Warren-Smith 49, Burchall 63

TEAMS

Devonshire Colts (4-5-1): G Rose — J Maybury, K Wilkinson, V Lambe, D Ball — F Lema, L Symonds (sub: J Woodley, 71), D Lambe, B Rose (sub: D Wainwright, 53), E Smith — K Jones. Booked: Wilkinson, Lema, B Rose. Substitutes not used: R Dill, J Butterfield

PHC Zebras (4-5-1): S Trott — D Smith, Lightbourne, K Griffith, N Griffith, D Usher — M Waldron, C Robinson, K Bean (sub: M Lambe, 73), J Warren-Smith (sub: R DeShields, 83), M Burchall — I Sharrieff. Booked: K Griffith. Substitutes not used: S Dill, D Davis, J Ball

Referee: M Wyer