PHC went a long ways to erasing the memory of their Martonmere Cup final defeat with a sound thrashing of Dandy Town at PHC Stadium on Saturday night.

On the night, PHC were not particularly that good. But Town were that bad.

And thus, a goal from an impressive Shawn Simons near the end of the first half and two from Kenny Mills and another from Otis Steede in the second half made the visitors pay for a highly uninspiring performance.

Town, favoured in many circles at the beginning of the season, have much work to do. They seemed to have no plan, were disjointed throughout and to a man took a defeatist attitude after the second goal.

PHC's first two goals were courtesy of poor defending when first Wayne Campbell and then Troy Durham left goalkeeper Anthony Manders exposed.

Simons scored with a left-foot volley after Campbell's misplaced header sent him goalward, then Durham gave away a penalty when he was dispossessed and pulled down a streaking Simons.

Mills scored on the second attempt after Manders saved the spot-kick, diving low to his right.

Durham was booked by referee Esten Curtis for the offence and several minutes later dismissed for dissent to further enhance his reputation as a `loose cannon'.

All did not start exactly well for PHC as they gave Town a number of half-chances around the area in the first half.

But, in the manner that typified their performance, Town sent lacklustre efforts at Ty Williams who hobbled through most of the match after injuring his leg in a clash with Carlos Smith.

Smith, Stevie Wade and Kurt Martin all had opportunities to test Williams but in the end they sent offerings that amounted to little more than back-passes.

At the other end, Simons gave a sign of what was to come when he cashed in on a Durham error with a first-time shot that beat Manders but was kept out by the upright.

The only other close call of the half came when Frank Ming headed over from a Dano Outerbridge cross.

While Town may have considered themselves unfortunate to be a goal down at the interval, there was no denying who were the better team afterward.

Mills put the Zebras two up in the 50th minute upon which time the Town heads started to drop while midfielders Steede and Dana Rawlins grew in confidence.

Carlos Smith was the one player to bother the PHC defence throughout. His pace earned several corners and he often found himself in threatening positions, but the finishing touch never forced a save from Williams.

At the other end, however, Manders needed to be brave to save at Mills' feet after the striker was picked out by sub Michael Trott.

Mills notched his second in the 76th minute and it was the night's best.

After receiving treatment for a foul by Wylie Rudo that earned the Town right-back a yellow card, Mills quickly took on a pass from Rawlins and drilled a 20-yard shot in at Manders' near post.

Steede should have opened his account a minute later when he volleyed wide after Frank Ming's quickly-taken free kick caught the Town defence napping.

But the youngster scored soon after, with a curling, 22-yard free kick from the right side that went over the defensive wall.

Such was the lack of organisation from Town that no one challenged the indirect kick and Steede had ample time to pick his spot.

Hard-running Carlos Smith, the best of a bad bunch, summed up Town's woes at the end when he intercepted a Roderick Lewis pass, cut in on Williams' goal and blasted over.

PHC: T.Williams; R.Lewis, M.Dill, D.Douglas, D.Outerbridge; F.Ming, O.Steede, D.Rawlins; R.Lightbourne (M.Trott, 68 mins), S.Simons (M.Smith, 76 mins), K.Mills.

Dandy Town: A.Manders; L.Furbert, W.Campbell, T.Durham, W.Rudo; G.Dyer, S.Smith, K.Martin; W.Musson, C.Smith, S.Wade.

Referee: Esten Curtis.

Men of the match: Shawn Simons (PHC); Carlos Smith (Dandy Town).