(Village won 4-2 on penalty kicks) It needed a player nicknamed Diamond to brighten up proceedings at Wellington Oval after a match largely best forgotten.

Neither Village nor PHC could find a way through after 90 minutes of this Dudley Eve tie and so it came down to the lottery of penalties with a place in the final of the popular holiday tournament at stake.

After several misses and successes on either side the burden rested on the shoulders of Village substitute, Neil Robinson.

With the pressure well and truly on, he stroked the ball home into the far left corner past the despairing dive of Zebras' keeper Jay-Lee Smith.

It was the second time in the space of four days that League leaders Village had had to rely on spot-kicks to win a tie, and they'll need the extra rest period afforded to the victors to work on their game if they are to eventually lift the trophy.

The weather didn't help proceedings, it must be said -- a blustery wind making conditions difficult for attackers and defenders alike.

But for large periods of the game neither side seemed to be using their heads.

Instead of playing patient football and stroking the ball along the ground across short distances, all too often matters were rushed, it was hoofed down the pitch and the busiest person in the ground was probably the poor soul who had to keep going to retrieve it from the road.

Ottis Steede gave the ball boy warning of what was to come sending a shot from the edge of the box sailing over the bar in the second minute.

It was another 10 minutes before there was any further action -- Smith awkwardly punching clear after a dangerous right wing cross from Quincy Paynter.

Kentoine Jennings had one of the few scoring chances of the afternoon shortly after -- his shot cleared off the line after a corner fell invitingly to him inside the area.

It took until first-half injury time before there was another attack of note, Village's Dwight Warren lifting a lob of sorts over the PHC bar while under pressure from a defender.

PHC's McLee Smith, brought on as an interval substitute for Michael Lambe, carved out an opening for Stephen Astwood as play resumed, but his low cross was just too far ahead of the stretching striker and drifted untouched across the face of goal.

Zebras' best player, Dano Outerbridge, was there to prevent Paynter getting a shot on goal in the box after Kevin Jennings had danced to the byline and sent over an inviting centre in the 57th minute. Then Paynter unselfishly squared to Jemeiko Dill on the edge of the box, but although the latter's shot was low and hard it was marginally off target.

Astwood showed the touch that caught the eye of Preston North End when he released Stanton Lewis with a neat reverse pass in the middle of the park.

Lewis ran on and had the legs of a chasing defender, but when the best option looked to be to go around the advancing 'keeper, he elected to shoot and the custodian was able to block.

There was a flurry of activity on the touchline as the clock wound down, with both sides making substitutions knowing that penalties were looming.

And it was one of those new men who stepped up to take the first kick after the final whistle had blown.

But Kaiwon Dill will want to forget his moment in the spotlight after sending Smith the wrong way, but putting the ball the wrong side of the post.

The crowd roundly jeered Dill for his miss, but Astwood obviously felt sorry for him as he conspired to do exactly the same with PHC's first kick.

Michael Hansey scored for Village and Outerbridge, despite having to reposition the ball several times, kept his head to make the score 1-1.

Kentoine Jennings then scored for Village, and Hendrickson's save from Blenn Bean put the Red Devils in the driving seat.

Vernon Tankard netted for Village and although Zebras' Lewis put his kick beyond the reach of the keeper, the fate of the game was out of PHC's hands.

Cool, calm and collected, Robinson strode up and placed the ball just inside the post to send Village through and his team-mates delirious.

PHC: J.Smith; S.Lewis; D.Outerbridge; C.Dowling (J.Caisey, 84); M.Williams; C.Furbert; O.Steede; B.Bean; S.Astwood; M.Lambe (M.Smith, 46); D.Wilson (D.Hunt, 84).

Village: Z.Hendrickson; J.Thomas; R.Spence; Kentoine Jennings; Kofi Dill; J.Dill (J.Boyles, 86); Kevin Jennings (N.Robinson, 73); M.Hansey; Q.Paynter (Kaiwon Dill, 84); D.Warren; V.Tankard.

Men of the match: Dano Outerbridge (PHC); Kentoine Jennings (Village).

Yellow cards: B.Bean, C.Furbert (PHC).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.

Photos by Arthur Bean In the thick of it: PHC's Ottis Steede does his best to fend off the attentions of North Village striker Dwight Warren during yesterday's Dudley Eve clash.