Coach Jack Castle calls this a rebuilding year for his PHC team.

That could spell bad news for the rest of the Coca Cola First Division.

While Castle's youthful line-up was expected to produce another mid-table season, the Zebras instead have won three of their four matches to open the season.

Never mind that one of those wins -- 4-0 over St. George's two weeks ago -- was taken away by the BFA on a technicality. A combination of high skill level and solid work ethic have made them one of the surprises in the early going.

Fortunately for PHC, they have a few veterans to go with the kids and it was one them who made the difference in win number three yesterday against Boulvevard.

Sheridan Ming completed a three-way move to score in the 57th minute then added some insurance on a breakaway ten minutes from the end.

Another veteran, Kenny Mills, wasn't so lucky. One of the best players on the field yesterday, he went down with a knee injury in the 60th minute and had to be helped to the dressing room. The extent of the injury won't be determined until today.

"Absorb, absorb, absorb -- then wait to capitalise,'' Castle said of the game plan without Mills.

PHC actually did a lot of absoring in the first half, when Boulevard had by far the better of the play but had few scoring chances to show for it.

The best came in the 24th minute when Neil Robinson beat his man in the corner, then fed Dwight Warren who in turn crossed to Melchisedec Gibbons inside the six-yard box. But 'keeper Jay Smith dived to his left and prevented Gibbons' drive from crossing the line.

Three ill-advised gambles by wandering 'keeper Mitchell Steede led to PHC's only scoring threats of the first half -- the last of which necessitated an alert clearance by his defender.

PHC had much more breathing room in the second half, especially after Ming's winner. With Mills and Raynel Lightbourne working a give-and go in front, the diminutive midfielder worked himself into position to hammer home Lightbourne's pass back from ten yards away.

"We just needed to find our rhythmn and settle down,'' Castle said of the second-half momentum swing.

And it helped that Boulevard's sloppy finishing continued. Pressing for the equaliser, Blazers substitute Donnie Charles was left all alone in front of Smith but nodded a perfect cross wide of the goal.

Minutes later, Ming bolted behind the Boulevard defence, and with full back Dean Boyles waving for an offside call that never came, stroked a shot behind Steede.

It was a bitterly-contested match as indicated by several hard knocks (particularly to PHC's Michael Williams) and three cautions issued by referee Stuart Crockwell. All three came in the second half and two went to PHC (Lightbourne and Dana Rawlins) and one to Boulevard (Charles).

PHC: J.Smith, E.Hunt, C.Dowling, D.Outerbridge, D.Burgess, M.Williams (S.Smith 80 mins), K.Mills (D.Rawlins 60 mins), S.Ming, R.Lightbourne, W.Trott, M.Trott.

BOULEVARD: M.Steede, L.Stevens, M.Trott, A.Caisey, D.Boyles, N.Robinson, J.Samuels, D.Gibbs (D.Charles 65 mins), D.Warren, M.Gibbons (V.Phillips 54 mins).

Men of the match: Sheridan Ming (PHC), Neil Robinson (Boulevard).

Referee: Stuart Crockwell