Devonshire Colts 2 PHC 0

Devonshire Colts are into their first FA Cup Final in two decades after beating PHC in a tense semi-final at Bernard Park on Saturday night.

Jorj Dublin and Chemarl Henry scored in a dominant second half to secure a first appearance in the showpiece Final since 2007 for the Prospect club.

Colts head coach Ray Jones was extremely pleased with this performance, especially their work rate in the later stages.

“We had to grind it out, but it was a good performance,” Jones said. “We grew in fitness as the match wore on and they faded, which made a massive difference.

“It’s been a long time since we have been in a cup final and kudos to the team as it was a goal we had at the start of the season.”

PHC controlled the early stages but lacked quality in the final third. Winger Haile Eve had the first real attack but lacked conviction and drilled his low ball across the penalty area in the opening moments.

Colts were awarded a dangerous free kick inside five minutes when Senoj Mitchell played a driven through ball for Henry, who was pulled down on the edge of the box by Rayquan Woodley-Smith. Jahzardae Samuels drilled the set-piece into the wall and Zuhri Burgess had the rebound blocked by Jaylon Bather before Zebras cleared.

Eve had another chance to launch a counter attack for PHC having switched wings, but he overhit his intended pass for Joshua Joseph in midfield. Zebras mixed up their attacking zones well early, but always had the intent of finding the pace of Eve and Joseph on either flank.

DeAndre Smith-Lightbourne had one of PHC’s best early chances from a free kick on the right, latching onto a flicked header by Enrique Russell but tamely finishing into the arms of Colts keeper Jaden Mills-Furbert. Russell, despite linking the play effectively when dropping deep, felt the effects of a heavy early challenge by Burgess and struggled to move thereafter.

Jaylon Bather made another clutch challenge as Samuels bore down on goal as the first half neared the midway point, but both defences held firm until the break.

The second half continued a similar pattern to the first, though Colts’ intensity grew as the half wore on and Zebras were forced to replace the ailing Russell at the break.

Colts found the breakthrough midway through the second half after Senoj Mitchell had a driven effort take a fortuitous bounce into the area for team-mate Samuels, who took one touch and was then clipped by DeAndre Dowling.

Dublin made no mistake from twelve yards after a contentious decision, sending Hunt the wrong way to give Colts a deserved lead.

Zebras responded well but were twice thwarted from getting back into the game. Smith-Lightbourne powered another free kick at goal, but Mills-Furbert was in position and grabbed it.

Then left back Smith-Lightbourne would dribble past two Colts players before cutting back for Arnezha Astwood, but the substitute side-footed wide. Rayquan Woodley-Smith would whip an effort over the bar moments later, after Joseph pulled it back.

Colts did well to weather the brief Zebras storm safely, and claimed the decisive two-goal cushion just before the end. Teniko Eve clipped a fabulous pass in behind for Henry, who whipped the finish into the far corner.

Scorers

Devonshire Colts: Dublin 68 pen, Henry 89

TEAMS

Devonshire Colts (4-3-3): J Mills-Furbert 6 – M Isaac 6 (sub: J Paynter, 81min), J Dublin 8, D Davis 7, S Robinson 7 – Z Burgess 6, D Ball 7 (sub: T Eve, 58 5), C Henry 6 – E Darrell 6 (sub: R Whitter, 81), J Samuels 7, S Mitchell 6. Substitutes not used: S Blair-Paynter, K Burch, D Jackson, T Smith, A Van Duyne, J Bean-Lindo. Booked: Davis.

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Q Hunt 6 – D Smith-Lightbourne 7, J Bather 6, D Dowling 6, R Woodley-Smith 6 – J Ebbin 5 (sub: D Lodge, 58 5), S Burrows 6 (sub: S Lewis, 83) – J Joseph 6, H Eve 6 (sub: C Eve, 71), A Burgess 7 (sub: E King-Mills, 71) – E Russell 5 (sub: A Astwood, 46 5). Substitutes not used: Y Burgess, J Hassell. Booked: Dowling, Woodley-Smith, Burgess.

Referee: D Parchment (Jamaica)