Marco Warren was the inspiration behind a scrappy PHC victory over Southampton Rangers in a West End derby at Southampton Oval yesterday, scoring a goal and providing an assist in the Zebras’s 3-1 triumph.

The visitors took the lead inside five minutes when Warren, who was a constant threat throughout the contest, threaded a ball through to Jaheim Iris, who cut inside and fired past Sean Perinchief at his near post.

Ten minutes later, the hosts were awarded a penalty. Riccardo Lowe found the returning Cardel Henry in space on the edge of the box, before the Barbadian cut inside his man, Michael Lambe, who took him down just inside the box.

Henry picked himself up and converted his own penalty to level the score.

The 11-time league champions fashioned the best remaining chance of the first half, with De-Andre Smith-Lightbourne playing a decent ball forward for Kushae Hypolite, who laid off for Antwan Russell who could only fire straight at Perinchief.

The second-half began with both sides scrapping for position in midfield and neither team taking control of the pace or territory within the game.

That quickly changed when captain Warren floated in a free kick towards an unmarked Russell, who again headed straight at the Rangers keeper.

Just before the hour, the Zebras took their second lead after a ball by Eusebio King-Mills was flicked on by Antwan to sibling Enrique, who drove into space before firing low past Perinchief.

Midway through the second half, the visitors thought they had doubled their advantage.

Bermuda international midfielder Warren fired a through ball past the Rangers’s defence towards Russell and substitute Cory Booth, who collided in a sprint before the latter picked himself up and fired past Perinchief, only for both forwards to be ruled offside after referee Tashun Simons consulted with his assistant.

Things got from bad-to-worse for Rangers who were reduced to ten men with less than fifteen minutes remaining.

Defender Kamen Tucker was sent off after arguing with Simons on a foul call given to defender Lightbourne.

PHC completed the victory just before the end of regulation time when Keishon Bean lofted a ball over the high-pressing Rangers defence and Warren latched onto it before finishing past Perinchief.

PHC head coach Winston Trott was happy with the win.

“Good win (but) we must continue playing our game,” said Trott, who charged his players to limit individual errors.

“We must eliminate those silly mistakes. We can be dangerous, but we must be disciplined,” Trott said.

SCORERS

Southampton Rangers: C Henry 13 pen

PHC: J Iris 4, E Russell 57, Warren 90

TEAMS

Southampton Rangers (4-2-3-1): S Perinchief 4 – D Steede 5 (sub: K Simmons 46 5), K Tucker 3, R Wright 5, R Lowe 5 (sub: Y Bean 67 5) – M Burch 6, E Stoneham 5 (sub: R Simmons 81) – Z Iris 5, T Wilkinson 5, A Triana Zan 5 (sub: M Basden 58 5) – C Henry 6 (sub: J Bean 67 5). Substitutes not used: A Rocker, D Hill; Sent off: Tucker

PHC Zebras (4-3-3): S Trott 5 – D Smith-Lightbourne 5, M Lambe 4, E King-Mills 5, D Usher 4 – D Lodge 5 (sub: K Bean 45 6), K Abraham 6, M Warren 7 – K Hypolite 5 (sub: E Russell 45 6), A Russell 7, J Iris 6 (sub: C Booth 5 65). Substitutes not used: J Sealey, Z Ming-Wilson, Z Lee, C Fubler; Booked: Smith-Lightbourne

Referee: T Simons