PHC hopes of a Martonmere semi-final still hang by a thread after a two-goal fightback on Saturday night.

The Zebras, beaten 5-4 in their opening game, would still advance from Group A if Village are beaten by two goals on Friday when they take on a Cougars side who have already secured their spot in the final four.

A Reds win on Saturday night at BAA would have wrapped things up, but Group A was left wide open after Village and PHC battled to a 2-2 draw in a match featuring plenty of bad tempers and two superb goals.

PHC needed a result to stay in the competition and they were given that as Dwayne (Streaker) Adams? men failed to capitalise on their dominance, particularly in the opening half.

But defensive lapses and a moment of brilliance from Raynel (Manga) Lightbourne were enough to peg back an early two-goal lead from the Rams, cancelling out strikes from Vernon Tankard and a sweet volley from Kaiwon Dill.

Village, perennial winners of this early-season competition, came out firing on all cylinders as they had done to such effect in their winning Charity Cup effort on the campaign?s opening night.

And after just 158 seconds they had their lead courtesy of a close-range effort from Vernon Tankard after some questionable Zebras defending.

Village continued to dominate with Kaiwon Dill and Ralph Bean Jr. combining regularly to torment the PHC defence with their lightning pace and skills on the run.

It seemed only a matter of time before the defence was breached again as it was spectacularly in just the 14th minute.

The Reds earned yet another corner and this one was sent deep to the far side of the penalty box where the ever-menacing Kentoine Jennings, who was outstanding in defence all night, nodded the ball back across the box.

Kaiwon Dill was poised and ready, uncoiling with a superb volley that left Raymon Glasford with absolutely no chance as the striker?s bullet burst through a wall of bodies to send the net flapping.

Village continued their dominance with PHC strikers Lightbourne and Phillip Anderson, who bears a strange resemblance to Wayne Rooney, left just fighting for scraps.

But, very much against the run of play, PHC were somehow able to pull one back in the 23rd minute.

Kevin Jennings brought down Anderson on the edge of the box and the resulting free kick was spilled by Zane Hendrikson allowing Lightbourne to slip in for a rebound tap-in.

Despite the setback, Village remained in charge of the fixture, bossing midfield through Keith Jennings and having the better of things up front.

But another defensive lapse allowed PHC their chance to equalise.

Lightbourne was in amongst the thick of things in attack when a poor clearance left the dreadlocked-striker 21 yards out and with the ?keeper off his line.

He leaned back and delicately drifted the ball back over the despairing heads of the defenders and goalkeeper, watching with delight as the ball looped in just below the crossbar.

The sides went in level at the break after a four-goal first half and the crowd of well over 1,000 were bristling with anticipation for more.

But the second half lacked the goalscoring magic of the first as honours were far more even between the teams, although Village perhaps still had slightly the upper hand.

They had a genuine appeal for a penalty turned down midway through the half ? losing Bean Jr. to injury in the process ? and lost their way over the next 15 minutes, more intent on haranguing the officials and opponents than getting on with the business of the day.

Although they still pressed, with the diminutive Shane Hollis proving a tricky and dangerous customer upfront in place of Bean Jr., they could not find a way through the increasingly-solid PHC backline.

In the end, the best chance of the half fell to Lightbourne, who rounded the keeper but with three players on the line, he couldn?t find a way through to secure his hat-trick.

The game ended with honours even but with Village still furious about the penalty they felt they should have had and, perhaps, their own frustrations at not being able to convert possession into goals.: Z. Hendrikson, Kevin Jennings, Kofi Dill, Kentoine Jennings, R. Wilson, D. Wade (K. Bean, 72 mins), Keith Jennings, T. Outerbridge (D. Edwards, 60 mins), R. Bean Jr. (S. Hollis, 65mins), V. Tankard, Kaiwon Dill.: R. Glasford, J. Sealy, S. Lewis, T. Russell, J. Mallory, M. Williams, Q. Hunt (S. Smith, 71 mins), C. Furbert, D. Wilson (B. Bean 68 mins), P. Anderson (O. Shakir, 80 mins), R. Lightbourne. Kaiwon Dill (Village) Raynel Lightbourne (PHC): Keith Jennings (Village) J. Sealy (PHC): Dan Rutstein