PHC Zebras 3 North Village Rams 1

PHC Zebras moved up to third in the Premier Division after a convincing win over champions North Village Rams at PHC Field this afternoon.

The three points keep PHC in sight of runaway leaders Robin Hood, who will be big favourites to at least maintain their five-point advantage over Devonshire Cougars and the Zebras when they travel to Garrison Field tomorrow to take on relegation-threatened X-Road Warriors.

PHC head coach Winston Trott Jr was pleased with his team’s performance but believes there is room for improvement.

“I thought it was a good game,” he said. “Village came and put in a good shift, but the game should have been over in the first half. We missed too many chances and made it more difficult for us.”

He added: “Our fitness is our trademark; that’s PHC training. We were able to run at them hard second half and it paid off.”

North Village started on the front foot and forced goalkeeper Shaquille Trott to dirty his outfit early, diving to his left to palm a low drive from Rai Simons to safety.

Three minutes later, Trott was at full stretch to push Village captain Terryn Fray’s dipping shot over the crossbar.

At the other end, Village defender Alaye Darrell almost gifted PHC the opener when his weak back-pass was intercepted by striker Enrique Russell, but his effort was blocked by Village goalkeeper Daniel Johnson, who advanced quickly to cut down the angle.

PHC captain Marco Warren was the playmaker in many of their attacks, including one that led to the opening goal.

He collected the ball and dribbled forward, only to be brought down just outside the penalty area. Warren dusted himself off before sending in a curling free kick that Johnson did well to parry diving to his right, but Cory Booth was first to react to the loose ball and squared it into the centre for Keishon Bean to slam home.

PHC were starting to dictate play and took a deserved 1-0 lead into the break.

As the second half started, Russell dribbled down the middle to get a shot off at the top of the box, which Johnson did well to smother before his players could settle.

PHC kept this momentum going, forcing Village on the back foot. On a counter-attack, Jakeem Jennings was able to get a shot off that went only inches over.

A minute later, PHC doubled their lead when Russell sent the speedy Booth down the left wing and his cross found the foot of the onrushing Daren Usher to blast into the net.

On a rare move, Village would get on the scoresheet with the goal of the game. Demitre Daniels played Jarryd Richardson through from the middle of the park. He controlled and hit a piledriver from 22 yards that left Trott grasping at air and flew into the roof of the net.

PHC put the game out of reach when Russell was sent on a clear run at goal, only to be hacked down from behind in the penalty area by Zeon Robinson — penalty and red card for the Village defender.

Russell dusted himself off to take the spot-kick, placing his shot down the middle as Johnson dived the wrong way.

SCORERS

PHC Zebras: K Bean 32, Usher 72, Russell 80 pen

North Village Rams: Richardson 76

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Shaquille Trott – Shakhai Trott, M Lambe, D Dowling, D Smith-Lightbourne – M Warren, M Joell – D Usher, K Bean (sub: A Bean, 70min), C Booth – E Russell (sub: O Tucker, 78). Substitutes not used: C Fubler, M Simmons, J Joseph, K Hypolite, N Griffith. Booked: S Astwood (assistant coach).

North Village Rams (4-1-4-1): D Johnson – K Knights, Z Robinson, T Fray, A Darrell (sub: S Somner, 78) – J Briers – D Daniels, J Jennings (sub: A Butterfield, 78), I Simmons, J Richardson – R Simons (sub: A Thomas, 70). Substitutes not used: Z Jennings-Barnett, M Brangman, S Jennings. Booked: Knights. Sent off: Robinson.

Referee: M Wyer.