PHC Zebras 2

Flanagan’s Onions 2

Two goals either side of half-time left PHC Zebras and Flanagan’s Onions sharing the spoils at Southampton Oval.

Goals from Onions’ players Nathan Peskett and Keith Szmierek were cancelled out by strikes from PHC’s Lonnie Bascome and Shakir Smith.

Keston Lewis, the Onions captain, admitted he was disappointed his team had not been able to hang on for the victory, but said a draw was probably a fair result.

“Not the best results, but we will take it being as it’s on the road,” Lewis said. “It’s never satisfying to have a lead and then let it slip away in the manner that we did.

“You must hold on to the points, but with that being said, they came into their own in the second half and a point is deserved for the most part.”

Chances came thick and fast with Lewis having an opportunity in the early exchanges, only to see his shot blocked by PHC defender Rakeem Deshields. The visiting side took the lead through Peskett who headed home a Lewis free kick.

PHC goalkeeper Quincy Hunt was not at his best in the first half, and was nearly made to pay for not catching crosses cleanly. Moments after opening the scoring, Onions were again on the attack. This time it was lanky striker Kevin Ronaldson who rose highest to a Lewis free kick, but could only watch as his effort flashed past the back post.

Defender Greg Muir was next to test Hunt with a header from a set-piece. Hunt was able to collect the ball at the second time of asking.

Bascome tested Onions goalkeeper Stephen Gould, although his shot on target was not hit cleanly. PHC winger Jahni Raynor also tried his luck from distance but fired straight down Gould’s throat.

A high challenge from Markel Laws on Jensen Rogers just before the break threatened to boil over as both teams pleaded their case to Anthony Mouchette, the referee. Laws escaped with only a yellow card much to the dismay of the PHC bench. Szmierek scored eight minutes into the second half. He was the recipient of a Lewis cutback that he bundled over the line from close range.

PHC reduced the deficit five minutes later, when Bascome rifled his initial effort on to a post and into the path of Malachi Jones, who played the winger behind the Onions backline and slid home from six yards.

A double substitution from Zebras further boosted their belief of grabbing a point, with Khamisi Lightbourne and Shakir Smith replacing Jones and skipper Cecoy Robinson. The pair would team up for the equaliser with 15 minutes remaining.

Chasing a long ball down the right flank, Lightbourne beat both Gould and defender Sam Butler to the ball and lobbed into the area for an onrushing Smith, who outjumped his marker and nodded home.

“Obviously we are disappointed,” Robert Bean, the PHC assistant coach, said. “You can’t come out sluggish at home against a side that is going to be physical with you. That’s what we did and were punished for it, but as the game wore on we made a few slight adjustments and got ourselves back into the match.”