PHC 4 Devonshire Cougars 1

The battle for the Premiership title looks destined to go down to the wire after PHC outplayed Devonshire Cougars at PHC Stadium on Saturday night.

With the win PHC Zebras moved back to the top of the Premier Division, albeit overnight as Dandy Town could return to the summit with victory over North Village this afternoon.

Two goals from Joshua Joseph and prolific striker Enrique Russell were satisfying for stand-in coach Roddy Lewis, who is deputising for Bermuda Under-20 coach Cecoy Robinson.

“Tonight’s game was definitely going to be a challenge,” Lewis said.

“It’s one of those games that you had to win to keep in the title race. This was a good result to get the goals that we got. We want to be in this space right now and be in front rather than be chasing. What anybody else has to do is on their terms. It is only a couple of games left so we will continue to play and see where it leads us.”

Knowing what was at stake, PHC started the match at a quick pace and opened the scoring when Russell’s shot from just outside the area deflected off Cougars’ goalkeeper Q’Shai Darrell into the path of Joseph, who kept his composure to sidefoot into the net.

Cougars found the equaliser minutes later when veteran Domico Coddington took advantage of a partial clearance which came straight to him. He welcomed the gift, home from within the penalty area beyond PHC goalkeeper Quinaceo Hunt.

Joseph gave his team a lead they would not relinquish with his second goal just after the half-hour mark. A cross from the flank rolled past a couple of players to find him unmarked in the centre of the box before he placed a fine shot into the corner of Darrell’s net.

Not to be outdone, the division’s leading goalscorer Russell opened his account with finesse. After holding off his marker, the striker took a look at goal and lobbed the advancing Darrell as the Zebras took a two-goal lead into half time.

Cougars started the second half with intent as Kydan Browne’s half volley missed the upright by inches. PHC’s Haile Eve then forced Darrell to block his shot from the angle after rounding his defender with ease.

Cougars pressed to reduce the deficit as first Coddington then Zari Simmons both had firm drives blocked by a determined PHC defence led by Jaylon Bather and Diondre Dowling.

Russell would close out the scoring with his second, and the team’s fourth, with a well- taken free kick from just outside the box which beat the outstretched arm of a diving Darrell to nestle in the top-left corner.

SCORERS

PHC: Joseph 17, 32, Russell 39.70

Devonshire Cougars: Coddington 22

Teams

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Q Hunt 6 --- D Usher 6, D Dowling 7, J Bather 7, D Smith-Lightbourne 6 ― K Abraham 6 (sub: J Richardson, 85min), D Lodge 5 (sub: J Hassell, 85) ― J Joseph 7, S Burrows 5 (sub: C Eve, 77), H Eve 6 (sub: R Woodley-Smith, 63 5) ― E Russell 8 (sub: A Burgess, 77). Substitutes not used: K White, Y Burgess. Booked: Eve.

Devonshire Cougars (4-2-3-1): Q Darrell 6 ― O Smith, Zion Simmons 5 (sub: C Brangman, 74), J Thomas 6, C Burns 5 ― Zari Simmons 6, K Browne 6 ― J Fox 5, D Coddington 6 (sub: J Bell, 85), M Mills 6 (sub: C Albuoy, 74) ― C Brangman 5. Booked: Zion Simmons, Thomas. Fox.

Referee: D Parchment (Jamaica)