PHC Zebras 6 Devonshire Cougars 1

PHC Zebras are one point away from wrapping up the Premier Division title after Tre Ming and Jaheim Iris both scored twice in the lopsided victory at PHC Field yesterday.

The win keeps PHC three points ahead of Robin Hood with a game to go, all but securing a tenth title for PHC as they can now only now only be caught on goal difference.

PHC have a goal difference of 50 and Hood 38 after their 15-0 thrashing of Young Men’s Social Club at home on Saturday night.

The Zebras will play bottom team Young Men’s Social Club in their final match on April 1 at Police Field while Hood meet Boulevard.

“I don’t buy into that April Fools stuff,” coach Scott Morton said. “It was beautiful as far as the performance, which gives us momentum going into the last match.

“That’s why it was important for us to have this type of performance today. The players started off a bit slow but they turned it around.”

After the final whistle the entire PHC squad went over in the rain to thank their fans in what was their final home match of the season. “It was nothing to do with the league; it was our last home match and we gave them thanks for all the support they’ve given us all year,” Morton added.

PHC took the lead after just three minutes when defender Daren Usher pushed forward and scored with a well-struck effort from inside the box.

Cougars hit back ten minutes later when Lovintz Tota scored from a header after a corner on the left. Idrees Sharrieff went close again a couple of minutes later when his shot went just past the far post.

An injury forced referee Lyndon Raynor to go off midway through the half, replaced by Fifa instructor Victor Stewart who was at the match assessing the local officials.

The match was delayed for a few minutes and when it resumed PHC blew the game wide open with four goals in seven minutes to leave Cougars, who lost 6-3 to Somerset Trojans in their previous match, facing another heavy defeat.

Captain Cecoy Robinson scored immediately upon resumption, then Ming opened his account when he capitalised on another error by the Cougars defence.

Two goals in a minute by youngster Iris put the match out of Cougars’ reach at 5-1.

The midfielder scored with a chip over goalkeeper Casey Hardtman after a through ball put him clear. He had a similar finish moments later after poor defending left him unmarked on the edge of the box.

“The break when the referee had to be changed allowed me to go back to my team and say, ‘This is not what we’re supposed to be doing, let’s remember what is at stake’ and they responded to that,” Morton said.

Sharrieff went close again on the hour mark before Marco Warren’s shot hit the upright as PHC kept on the pressure.

Referee Stewart had his first booking when Zion Simmons fouled Warren on the edge of the Cougars box.

The defender committed a similar foul a few minutes later and was fortunate to escape being sent off for a second caution.

With the fans in the “sky box” section behind the southern goal calling for a second-half goal from their team, it finally came five minutes from time when Sharrieff sent a long ball forward for Tre Ming to ran through the defence before finding the net.

GOALS

PHC Zebras

Usher 3, Robinson 31, Ming 34, 85, Iris 37, 38

Devonshire Cougars

Tota 13

TEAMS

PHC Zebras: Q Hunt — D Usher, N Griffith, M Lambe, C Castle, M Waldron (sub: J Hassell, 76min), T Ming, C Robinson (sub: K Bean, 69), M Warren, J Iris (sub: C Booth, 78), I Sharrieff. Substitutes not used: S Trott, K Abraham, K Matthie, K Hypolite. Booked: Lambe.

Devonshire Cougars: C Hardtman — C Brangman, D Simmons, Z Simmons, L Brangman (sub: S Jones, 83), J Mouchette (sub: N Carmichael, 69), Moses Steede, N Simmons (sub: J Johnson, 77), O Bascome, A Douglas, L Tota. Substitutes not used: Mark Steede, J Mallory, K Trott. Booked: L Brangman, Z Simmons.

Referee: L Raynor (V Stewart 24 min).