Devonshire Cougars 0

PHC Zebras 0

(Cougars won 3-0 on penalties)

A battered and bruised Devonshire Cougars limped to an unprecedented fourth straight Premier's Dudley Eve Cup final after PHC choked under pressure from the penalty spot.

After failing to crack the ice in regulation, the two clubs were forced to settle the issue from the dreaded penalty spot in a repeat of last month's Martonmere Cup final.

On that occassion Zebras were a cut above, but awful at best yesterday when it mattered most.

PHC skipper Omar Shakir set the tone for things to come when he dragged his spot-kick wide of the upright while teenager Randy Robinson wrong-footed 'keeper Raymond Glasford to put Cougars ahead for good.

Lightning then struck twice for Zebras as the usually dependable Kevin Richards had his shot saved by 'keeper Clyde Darrell before sub Kori Goddard converted to keep the Big Cats on top of the situation.

By now Zebras' chances appeared bleak and the situation quickly turned from bad to worse when Jahnai Raynor sliced his effort wide of the mark to leave Tumaini Steede with a glorious opportunity to shrug off an aggressive PHC side once and for all.

And the teenaged prodigy, son of legendary Cougars forward Cryil Steede, grasped his moment of fame with both hands, drilling a low shot to the right of Glasford before being mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates who will now take on North Village Rams in tomorrow's final at the same venue.

Yesterday's hard-fought win at the National Sports Centre (NSC) was historic in itself as Cougars became the first club to qualify for four straight Dudley Eve finals. But victory did not come without a cost for Shawn Smith's men who lost inspirational skipper Kwame Steede and midfielder Omar Butterfield both to injuries in the first-half.

Forward Kor-Von Tucker also limped off hurt after the break while Domico Coddington and defender Kijuan Franks were also among the walking wounded.

"We know PHC are a very physical team but it was important for us not to get frustrated and lose sight of the game plan. Basically I thought it was a very tactical and balanced game, with chances for both teams few and far between," stated Cougars coach Shawn Smith.

"I thought we took advantage of a good surface today and tried to minimise our mistakes. We tried to knock the ball around and should've stuck one in late in the match but in the end got the result we were looking for."

From the outset a physical Zebras made their intentions known that they were not going to allow Cougars to get into a free flowing rhthym on the spacious NSC pitch. At times Zebras' aggressive approach looked on par with the NFL, and it gradually it took a toll on Cougars.

Butterfield looked composed on the ball in the middle of the park. But the diminutive player's afternoon was cut short when he twisted his knee in a tackle and to be stretchered off.

Steede soon followed after coming out on the worst end of a one-on-one with 'keeper Glasford who rushed off his line to bravely collect at the danger man's feet.

The Cougars leader put on a brave face and soldiered on. But the tell-tale signs of Steede hobbling around gingerly afterwards gave every indication that all was not well before he was eventually replaced by Raymond Beach at the half.

Clearly Zebras' rough-neck tactics had knocked Cougars off stride with the midfield trio of Blenn Bean, Jeff Franklin and Jesse Almeida all making their presence felt.

Zebras came within inches of opening their account midway through the second half when Trinidadian striker Keston Lewis skimmed the bar from an acute angle and then Raynor had a shot pushed around the post as the game began to come to life.

Cougars also had chances to wrap things up at the other end, but Coddington took too long to unleash while Beach inexplicably lofted over with only Glasford to beat, to send the match into penalties where Zebras ultimately came undone at the seams.

Devonshire Cougars: C.Darrell, K.Franks, J.DeShield, D.Cox, J.Butterfield, O.Butterfield (K.Goddard, 15 mins), K.Tucker (T.Steede, 67 mins), K.Steede (capt.) (R.Beach, 45 mns). C.Christopher, R.Robinson, D.Coddington.

PHC: R.Glasford, I.Barry, K.Richards, O.Shakir (capt), C.Dowling, J.Ball, B.Bean, J.Almeida, K.Lewis (S.Fubler, 75 mins), R.Lightbourne (J.Raynor, 66 mins), J.Franklin (D.Russell, 57 mins).

Yellow cards: J.Ball, K.Lewis (PHC)

Men of the match: R.Robinson (Cougars); C.Dowling (PHC).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.

Southampton Rangers 1

St. David's 0

Jahnai Bean nodded Rangers into the First Division Dudley Eve final with the last throw of the dice at the National Sports Centre (NSC) yesterday.

Just when it seemed as though penalties would be called upon to separate the two sides Bean — son of former Somerset Trojans winger Everette Wellman — rose at the back post to powerfully head home Travis Wilkinson's cross and leave Warriors completely gutted.

Rangers will now take on Hamilton Parish in tomorrow's final at the same venue.