Boulevard 3 PHC 4 (after extra time)

PHC Zebras prevailed in a seven-goal thriller against a stubborn Boulevard to advance to the FA Cup semi-final at Devonshire Rec last night.

Both teams squandered the lead before PHC defender Jaylon Bather grabbed the winner with his second goal of the match in the second period of extra time.

“It’s definitely a relief to get through because Boulevard worked very hard,” PHC coach Cecoy Robinson told The Royal Gazette.

“They looked like they wanted it more than us but in the end we was able to get the result.”

PHC looked the better side during the early exchanges but were forced to come from behind in a hard fought FA Cup quarter-final after Blazers capitalised on sloppy defending. Darius Cox’s long ball was allowed to bounce freely in PHC’s box, leaving Blazers striker Khya Blyden with the simple task of slotting into an empty net.

Blazers fought desperately to cling to their slim advantage but their resistance was finally broken with two minutes of second half stoppage time remaining when striker Enrique Russell equalised for PHC from a set piece.

The game took yet another turn four minutes later when substitute Ijahmon Mallory restored Blazers’ lead from the penalty spot after PHC handled in the area.

But once again Zebras refused to roll over and were back on the even terms when Bather converted from another set piece right on the full time whistle to send the match to extra time.

Substitute Chance Eve then capitalised on a one-on-one situation with Blazers goalkeeper DeAz Chambers to put PHC ahead for the first time of the match.

However, Blazers came roaring back with defender Ernest Trott prodding into the empty net after PHC goalkeeper Quinaceo Hunt spilt the ball into his path to make it 3-3.

At this stage a penalty shoot-out seemed inevitable before Bather rose highest to nod in the winner from another set piece and send eleven-times champions Zebras through to the last four in the competition.

“It feels good to get the winner and we needed that,” Bather said.

“It was a lot of work involved and we made it way difficult than it needed to be.”

Scorers

Boulevard: Blyden 24; Mallory (sub) pen, 90+8; Trott 100

PHC: Russell 90+4; Bather 90+11; Eve (sub) 97; Bather 110

Teams

Boulevard (4-3-3): D Chambers 8 — K Astwood 7, D Cox 7, E Trott 7, J Walker 7- N Smith 7 (sub: T Lowe, 98min), Y Darrell 6 (sub: I Mallory, 62 7), K Swan 6 (sub: N Daley, 62 6)- D Walker 7, J Talbot Thomas 7 (sub: A Famous, 90), K Blyden 7 (sub: I Coke, 85; (sub: K Butterfield, 116). Booked: Blyden, Mallory (sub). Substitutes not used: Z Stovell

PHC (4-2-3-1): Q Hunt 8 — D Smith- Lightbourne 7, J Bather 8, D Dowling 7, D Usher 7 — D Lodge 7 (sub: J Ebbin, 78), K Abraham 6 (sub: C Eve, 62 7) — S Burrows 7 (sub: J Hassell, 98), J Joseph 7, H Eve 6 (sub: A Burgess, 78) — E Russell 7

Referee: A Francis