PHC Zebras 2 X-Roads 1

Tre Ming picked the right time to produce one of his most spectacular and dramatic goals to keep PHC Zebras’ perfect record intact at PHC Field yesterday.

The Zebras midfielder scored a stunning winner with the last kick of the game that gutted visiting X-Roads, who seemed to have done enough to come away with a share of the spoils against the league champions.

Daren Usher’s equally spectacular overhead bicycle kick from Marquel Waldron’s cross struck the crossbar and Ming pounced onto the rebound and scored with an acrobatic scissor kick just seconds before the final whistle. “I was surprised I was even able to do it because I’m not that athletic,” Ming said.

“Across the board I thought we all played terribly. But one thing we didn’t lack was heart and as the game wore on they started to get tired.”

Both teams came into the match unbeaten this season. Dashun Cooper, the X-Roads goalkeeper, came off his line to narrow the angle and tip Shakhai Trott’s shot over the bar early on. Trott went close again from the ensuing corner kick which he flicked just wide.

PHC nearly gifted their opponents a goal through sloppy defending. Arden Heyliger, the X-Roads forward whipped in a cross which striker Donovan Thompson turned onto the crossbar. PHC finally made the breakthrough when Jahiem Iris volleyed past Cooper from an angle to cap off an excellent build-up.

However, Zebras’ joy was short-lived as X-Roads hit back when Thompson scored his tenth goal of the season when he steered substitute Teiko Lowe’s cross past PHC goalkeeper Shaquille Trott.

Zebras quickly regrouped and began to pile on the pressure as X-Roads started sitting deeper and looking to counter on the break. Robinson shot wide after being picked out by Ming’s pass into space. Cooper then made back-to-back saves to repel efforts from Robinson and Ming.

The home side had an appeal for a penalty fall on deaf ears after Usher went down in the box under a challenge from X-Roads defender Larry Simmons.

At the other end, PHC goalkeeper Trott made a diving save to keep out substitute Jahron Dickinson’s 20-yard free kick.

However, just when it seemed as though both sides would have to be content with a point each Ming produced a moment of magic with no time to spare.

“It’s tough to concede in the last few seconds when you think the game is over and I didn’t think we deserved to lose,” Farid El Karfa, the X Roads coach, said.

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Shaquille Trott — D Smith-Lightbourne, R DeShields, D Dowling, D Usher — M Waldron, T Ming, K Matthie, Shakhai Trott (sub: K Abraham, 58mins), J Iris (sub: D Lodge, 75) — C Robinson. Substitutes not used: T Place, M Lambe, M Simmons, K Hypolite. Booked DeShields.

X Roads (4-2-3-1): D Cooper — O Williams, A Burgess (sub: N Richardson, 85), K Wilkinson, L Simmons — R Beek (sub: Teiko Lowe, 60), T Daniels, P Richardson (capt), J Swan, A Heyliger (sub: J Dickinson, 59) — D Thompson. Substitutes not used: J Furbert, K Hamilton, Terencio Lowe, T Smith.

Referee: T Simons.