North Village 1 PHC 1

(Village won 2-1 in

penalty shoot-out)

North Village coach Shaun Goater hailed Jason Williams as the top goalkeeper on the Island following his penalty shoot-out heroics against PHC in the Dudley Eve final.

Williams, a Bermuda international, saved four spot-kicks during a nail-biting finish to yesterday's final at the National Sports Centre (NSC) to hand Goater his first piece of silverware as Rams boss.

An attack of spot-kick nerves seemed to inflict both sets of players with all of the first five penalty attempts being missed, including a weak effort from Village's player/coach Goater.

But Williams showed no signs of any jitters as he palmed away penalties from Omar Shakir, Cecoy Robinson, Lloyd Holder and Chis Furbert to win Village their first trophy for almost two years.

Remarkably, the Bermuda Hogges shotstopper confessed after the game that he actually hates penalty shoot-outs.

"To be honest I'm shocked that I managed to get a hand on all five of their penalties," he said. "The funny thing is I don't actually enjoy them (penalties). I've never experienced a penalty shoot-out before where the first five are missed, and I'm just thankful I helped Village win the cup."

Village striker Ralph Bean sent the game into extra-time with a neat finish late in the second period to cancel out PHC's opener, which saw Devrae Tankard deflect Cecoy Robinson's cross into his own net.

Considering PHC had been reduced to ten men in the dying seconds of regulation time when substitute Casey Castle was dismissed for two bookable offences, Village should have really made more of their numerical advantage but failed to come to terms with the slippery conditions, constantly over hitting their passes on 'the carpet's' wet surface.

Coach Goater, who entered the fray midway through the second half, admitted his team had made hard work of their victory and gave thanks to his 'keeper Williams who rose to the occasion when it mattered.

"These conditions are not everyday conditions in Bermuda and our players just aren't used to playing in them," Goater said. "We should have wrapped it up in extra-time but didn't make the most of our extra man.

"I got caught up in between a coaching role and a playing role when I came on and I wasn't as effective as I should have been. But Jason (Williams) came through for us and I believe he's the best 'keeper on the Island. It's great to win a trophy but we can't afford to relax and must now push on."

Village seemed to find another gear after the break and should have scored before Bean's leveller when young striker Jason Lee blazed over the bar from a glorious scoring opportunity.

Further chances went begging in extra-time when Vernon Tankard's superb cross somehow evaded a forest of players, while Goater couldn't quite find enough power in his shot, under pressure from a tight angle.

At the other end, Cecoy Robinson struck a volley from distance forcing a flying Williams to tip the ball over the bar to send the game into penalties.

North Village: J.Williams, J.Boyles, M.Swan (R.Wilson, 55), D.Tankard, K.Dill, J.Briers, J.Jennings (P.Smith, 98), S.DeGraff, V.Tankard, R.Bean, J.Lee (S.Goater, 69)

Substitutes not used: M.Young, R.Spence, T.Fray

Yellow card: R.Bean

Goals: R.Bean, 80

PHC: R.Glasford, C.Dowling, O.Shakir, S.Smith, F.Frankinson, J.Sealey, S.Astwood (L.Holder, 85), C.Furbert, J.Raynor (C.Castle, 72), C.Robinson, K.Lambe (J.Smith, 81)

Substitutes not used: Q.Hunt, R.Richardson, J.Franklin, Q.Burgess

Red card: C.Castle

Yellow card: S.Astwood

Goals: D.Tankard (own goal, 27)

Referee: A.Reid

Man-of-the-match: V.Tankard (Village)