X-Roads 3 PHC 1

Danavon Thompson scored a first-half brace and weighed in with a second-half assist as X-Roads booked their spot in the Dudley Eve Trophy final after a resounding victory over PHC at Devonshire Rec last night.

Thompson opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before doubling his team’s lead seven minutes later. Kneiko Richardson profited from a pass by the seasoned forward to add a third in the 51st minute, with substitute Nasje Brockington pulling one back for PHC five minutes before the end.

X-Roads, whose coach, Farid El Karfa, was not allowed on the bench after receiving last-minute communication from the Bermuda Football Association that he was still suspended for being sent off in a league match against North Village, had substitute Cardel Henry shown a straight red card for violent conduct in stoppage time.

The Warriors were forced to make a late change with Paul Simons unable to take to the field after picking up an injury during the warm-up to be replaced by Kahmori Brangman.

PHC were first to have sight of goal when Rayquon Woodley hit the upright from a corner kick.

A long clearance presented Thompson with a chance to have a run at the PHC defence in the nineteenth minute, but he hurried his shot and sent it over the bar. The veteran forward came close to registering his hat-trick in the 33rd, but the PHC keeper got his fingertips on the ball to push it behind for a corner.

PHC, who brought in Brockington for Jalun Hassell in the 31st, made a double substitution at the start of the second half as Rufaro Kunze and Killian Elkinson took to the field.

Brangman saw his powerful grounder in the 88th minute saved and substitute Aaron Spencer could not pounce on the rebound.

Elkinson rattled the upright in stoppage time as PHC finished the match strongly but X-Roads did not allow them back into the game.

SCORERS

X-Roads: Thompson 22, 29, Richardson 51

PHC: Brockington 85

TEAMS

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

PHC: T Place, K Abraham, J Hassell, Z Lee, J Joseph, D Smith-Lightbourne, D Cook, T Davis, S Simmons, E King-Mills, R Woodley. Substitutes: Q Hunt, J Ebbin, J Butterfield, K Elkinson, B Brockington, R Kunze, J Iris.

Referee: A Majors.