X-Roads 3 PHC 0

X-Roads Warriors played to a deserved win over a toothless PHC Zebras outfit that lacked the attacking threat they are historically known for at St David’s yesterday.

Captain Paul Simons scored against his former club in the first half before poacher Donovan Thompson and substitute Samuel McKittrick scored two unanswered goals in the second half to bring joy to X-Roads coach Farid El Karfa.

“An excellent result today, I can’t complain,” El Karfa said.

“To get three points against one of the strongest teams in the league with a lot of quality is a good result. I give all the credit to my players for showing up today. We showed a lot of character and our defence played solid. We capitalised on our chances and defended well to secure the points.”

The Warriors started with a hunting mentality and scored on their first attack when Simons was put through on the right flank to outrun his marker and slip the ball under the advancing PHC goalkeeper Quinaceo Hunt in the second minute.

A defensive mix-up by PHC almost gifted the Warriors a second, with Hunt forced to dive to his left to pull off a Thompson pile-driver before De-Andre Smith-Lightbourne cleared his glancing header off the line as the Warriors searched for more goals.

PHC, whose coach Cecoy Robinson was back on the sidelines after missing last week with work commitments, started to settle and nearly scored on the half-hour mark when Bermuda striker Enrique Russell’s free kick from just outside the area hit the upright and bounced back into play.

X-Roads goalkeeper Kamran Harvey then had to be at his best from another Russell free kick, which was well struck and dipping under the bar before the custodian stretched full length to push the goalbound effort over the top.

Russell had another opportunity to score after collecting the ball but he hit a soft shot straight at Harvey who collected easily.

On the stroke of half-time, goalscorer Simons won a 50/50 with Hunt but the ball got tangled between his legs, which allowed the goalkeeper to recover and jump on the loose ball.

Hunt was called upon one more time before the interval when a good build-up from the Warriors midfielders resulted in Khamori Brangman getting off a firm drive, which Hunt pushed wide as X-Roads continued to dominate play but only had one goal to show for it going into the break.

PHC upped the tempo at the start of the second half and nearly scored when Zakiyah Lee toe-poked a low cross, which went inches wide from six yards with Harvey stranded. They would bring on D’Andre Wainwright to support Russell in the attack but the X-Roads defence, marshalled by Edivaldo Joao Abranches, held firm.

Thompson doubled the lead after being put through on an angle and kept his composure to bury a low drive past Hunt which settled into the bottom far corner.

X-Roads’ dominance paid off and they would close out the scoring when substitute McKittrick’s tame shot took a deflection which wrong-footed Hunt and landed in the back of the net.

With time running down, Wainwright should have scored a consolation goal for PHC but his header from a cross went inches wide off the upright to sum up a frustrating day for the Warwick outfit.

SCORERS

X-Roads: Simons 2, Thompson 67, McKittrick 74

TEAMS

X-Roads Warriors (4-2-3-1): K Harvey 6 — T Dill 6, E Abranches 7, C Smith 6, T Daniels 5 (sub: J Bean, 35min 6) — K Douglas 6 (sub: R Simmons, 90), J Sousa 6 — A Spencer 5 (sub: S McKittrick, 59 6), P Simons 7, K Brangman 6 — D Thompson 7. Substitutes not used: K Richardson, C Binnie, C Smith, J Lottimore. Booked: Abranches, Douglas, Bean.

PHC Zebras (4-1-4-1): Q Hunt 6 — D Usher 5, J Martin 5 (sub: R Woodley-Smith, 25 5), A Astwood 5, D Smith-Lightbourne 5 — A Nelson 5 — Z Lee 5 (sub: C Eve, 69 5), S Burrows 6 (sub: J Ebbin, 69 5), J Sealey 5 (sub: K Abraham, 63 5), D Lodge 6 (sub: D Wainwright, 63 6) — E Russell 7. Substitutes not used: J Richardson, J Hassell.

Referee: A Majors.