X-Roads Warriors 2 PHC Zebras 3

Rufaro Kunze came off the bench to grab a late winner for PHC Zebras in a heated Premier Division affair against X-Roads Warriors at Lord’s yesterday, where both teams had a player sent off after tempers boiled over.

The 16-year-old Warwick Academy student tapped in Joshua Joseph’s pull back in the box from close range five minutes from the end of regulation time for his first goal in top flight football, which secured the points for the visitors.

“This is a dream come true coming through the ranks in PHC’s academy to get my first first team goal in the third game of my first season,” Kunze told The Royal Gazette.

“I just saw the ball end up in a good position for Josh, made a good run and was grateful to get the finish.”

PHC head coach Cecoy Robinson was delighted to see the teenaged forward reap reward for the hard work he puts in on the training ground.

“Sometimes you need to throw them in the fire and he’s always been around,” he said.

“He comes to training, he’s hungry, he’s dedicated to the craft of the game, so we thought this was a good match, and it ended up working out for him.”

Taking some gloss off Zebras’ hard-fought victory was the sending-off of captain Enrique Russell, who accounted for the visitors’ other goals, and X-Roads centre back Jarye Bean in the 75th minute after coming to blows.

The pair will now miss Wednesday night’s Dudley Eve Trophy semi-final between the same teams at Devonshire Rec through suspension.

“Unfortunate events occurred for both players to get sent off and Enrique will be a miss,” Robinson said.

“But that’s part of the game and other guys need to step up so that we can get the result.”

X-Roads came out swinging and capitalised on their early momentum when striker Donavan Thompson latched onto forward Kahmori Brangman’s long ball over the top and angled a low shot into the far bottom corner.

Thompson wasted a glorious opportunity moments later after slicing PHC defender Zakiya Lee’s headed clearance, that fell invitingly into his path, wide from close range.

PHC eventually got a foothold in the match and were back on even terms when Russell got on the end of De-Andre Smith-Lightbourne's pass and steered the ball into the far bottom corner.

Both teams continued to create chances as the game opened up with PHC’s Joseph firing wide after driving into the box, while Thompson was denied at the other end by PHC goalkeeper Toran Place in a one-on-one situation.

PHC surged ahead shortly after the first half water break. Midfielder Daniel Cook, who put in a solid shift, gained possession just inside X-Roads’ half and whipped over an inviting cross which an unmarked Russell headed in at the far post.

PHC keeper Place pulled off another excellent save to deny Thompson, while X-Roads counterpart Kamran Harvey palmed away Cook’s dangerous free-kick right on the stroke of half- time.

Russell had the ball in the net again with what he initially thought was his third of the match shortly after the restart, but the goal was disallowed as team-mate Rayquon Woodley was blown for a foul on the play.

X-Roads midfielder Cory Booth linked up well with Thompson but was unable to get his shot on target as the pulsating end-to-end action continued.

Play was halted for several minutes as Place received treatment after colliding with Thompson during another X-Roads raid on goal.

PHC’s resistance was broken again when Brangman went from provider to scorer to bring the teams level in spectacular fashion. The experienced player unleashed a vicious drive from 35 yards out that flew into the far bottom corner.

Russell’s and Bean’s afternoon then came to an early end after losing their cool, leaving their team-mates to battle on in their absence.

Kunze entered the fray in the latter stages of the match and took his chance superbly, after an excellent passage of play between Cook and Joseph down the left side, to secure Zebras’ hard-fought victory and avenge defeat against their opponents during the group stage of the Dudley Eve Trophy.

“I thought we made it difficult for ourselves,” Robinson said.

“We gave up a goal early and were able to come back and execute what we were trying to do.

“We kind of fell asleep a little again, but I am glad that we was able to get the three points in the end.”

Deputising X-Roads coach Thaaqib Talbot cited poor execution and defensive lapses for his team’s demise.

“We didn’t execute when it really mattered and had a few defensive lapses in critical areas of the game,” he said.

“That was pretty much the crux of the matter for us as far as not being able to take the amount of chances that we created, and then in those critical defensive situations we defended poorly and it hurt us.”

SCORERS

X-Roads: Thompson 4, Brangman 62

PHC: Russell 14, 32, Kunze 85

TEAMS

X-Roads: K Harvey, J Bean, C Booth, T Daniels, K Douglas, S Harvey, J Richardson, K Richardson, C Smith, D Thompson, K Brangman. Substitutes: P Simons, Y Burgess, A Darrell, C Henry, R Simmons. Sent off: Bean, 75

PHC: T Place, E Russell, K Abraham, Z Lee, J Joseph, D Cook, D Smith- Lightbourne, E King-Mills, S Simmons, J Ebbin, R Woodley. Substitutes: T Davis, J Hassell, R Kunze, J Butterfield, K Elkinson, N Brockington, T Dickinson- Johnson. Sent off: Russell, 75

Referee: D Jackson