Devonshire Cougars 2 PHC 2

Devonshire Cougars and PHC Zebras played to an entertaining draw at Devonshire Rec on Sunday with all four goals coming in an action-packed first half.

Despite the four goals, multiple opportunities were squandered by both teams from the first kick until referee Clinton Hayward’s final whistle, with the sides deserving a share of the spoils.

In the opening seconds, Cougar’s Mosiais Mills darted down the right flank before cutting inside and forcing PHC goalkeeper Quinaceo Hunt into a diving save at his near post.

From the resulting kick upfield, PHC took an early lead. Haile Eve dribbled down the right flank before finding Enrique Russell with a low cross. The striker finished in style after controlling and sidefooting into the bottom right corner of Cougars goalkeeper Chazz Knight’s net.

Both teams took a while to settle under the constant drizzle and in slippery conditions, with Domico Coddington snaking his way through the PHC defence before the recovering defenders cleared his tame cross.

At the other end, Eve got off a weak bouncing shot that goalkeeper Knight collected on the second attempt.

Cougars found the equaliser in the 28th minute through some brilliant individual skill by Kydan Browne. After being put through, the new signing cut back before sidestepping his defender and kept his composure to place his shot into the near post to leave Hunt stranded.

PHC nearly got back in front when Chance Eve’s inch-perfect cross found Haile Eve free at the back post, but his curling left-foot shot brought an acrobatic save from the Cougars goalkeeper. Minutes later, Chance Eve thought he had scored after dribbling through and firing hard and low but again was denied by Knight diving to his right.

That saved proved crucial as Cougars would take the lead moments later. A diagonal pass over the PHC defence found the speedy Coddington, who outran his marker before controlling and hitting a firm drive beyond the planted Hunt.

With time ticking down to half time, PHC equalised when Chance Eve ran on to a perfect free-kick to place a glancing header beyond the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Knight.

In the second half Cougars pressed for the go-ahead goal and nearly scored when Coddington’s low drive was fumbled by Hunt. Chae Brangman back-heeled the rebound towards goal only for centre-half Arnezha Astwood to clear the danger.

Minutes later, Brangman’s flick-on header found Browne but his volley brought off a spectacular one-handed save by Hunt, who dived to his left to push the ball out for a corner.

Cougars thought they had found the winner when Mills’s free-kick took a deflection off the PHC wall, which wrong-footed Hunt only to smash against the crossbar before being cleared to safety.

PHC substitute and former Cougar, Simeon Burrows, could have had a memorable return to The Den with the last kick of the match. Russell found him clear in the centre of the pitch but he sliced wide under pressure just before the whistle blew to end the game.

SCORERS

Devonshire Cougars: Browne 28, Coddington 34

PHC: Russell 1, C Eve 45

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars (4-2-3-1): C Knight 7 — J Wilson-Butterfield 6 (sub: C Burns, 46min 5), L Millett 6, M Turner 6, J Fox 6 (sub: J Brimmer, 74) — M Thomas 6, Z Simmons 6 — D Coddington 7 (sub: C Albuoy, 89), K Brown 7 (sub: O Smith, 89), M Mills 7 — C Brangman 6. Substitutes not used: Q Darrell.

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Q Hunt 7 — D Usher 6, D Lodge 6, A Astwood 7, D Smith-Lightbourne 6 — A Nelson 6 (sub: S Burrows, 61 5), K Abraham 5 — H Eve 7 (sub: D Wainwright, 67 5), A Simons 6 (sub: J Hassell, 75), C Eve 6 (sub: Y Burgess, 75)— E Russell 7. Substitutes not used: K White, J Martin, E Mills. Booked: H Eve, Russell, C Eve.

Referee: C Hayward