PHC 3 North Village 0

PHC stormed to the top of the Premier Division at Somerset yesterday when they overwhelmed North Village, winning emphatically with goals from Dennis Russell, Raynel Lightbourne and substitute Kenny Mills.

Such was their dominance, the Zebras could have come away with an even more comfortable victory as the Village defence appeared in disarray.

While PHC coach Mark Wade was unwilling to comment on his team's triumph, he had to be satisfied with a performance in which they dictated play from start to finish.

However, it had to be a day of bitter disappointment for Village coach Scott Morton whose team rarely settled, offering only the occasional foray into their opponents' goalmouth.

PHC underlined their supremacy after just five minutes when hard-working striker Russell headed home a cross by Jahnai Raynor from close range.

Village were made to play catch-up until the half but they accomplished little going forward with only Vernon Tankard on the left wing causing the defence concern, forcing them to retreat at times with some fine runs down the flank.

At the other end, PHC kept Village goalkeeper Zane Hendrickson busy, forcing him to brilliantly tip over a curling corner by Stephen Astwood after 25 minutes.

After 27 minutes, Russell slipped by a defender and fired a fierce left-footed shot from 16 yards that Hendrickson slapped against the post as he dived to his right and then Chris Furbert followed up by hammering a 25-yard free kick that the busy `keeper alertly pushed over the bar.

In a rare attack, Village finished off the half with forward Kaimon Dill lobbing a shot just inches past the post from 15 yards with the goalkeeper out of position.

A similar trend continued in the second half with PHC clearly the more composed team.

Just 40 seconds after restart Russell headed a cross from Astwood wide and two minutes later Hendrickson advanced off his line to fall and block a shot by Lightbourne who had slipped through the defence on a breakaway.

After 52 minutes Hendrickson punched away a curling corner by Otis Steede which was about to go over the goal-line, but 11 minutes later Lightbourne came through with the second goal.

The striker was smartly put through the middle with a defence-splitting ball from Russell and Lightbourne worked hard to get around centre-back Michael Hansey before slamming the ball home from close range.

Village were now a beaten bunch and it was only a question of how many more goals PHC would score.

Mills got the third when he netted from an angle on the right after 76 minutes, but Jonathan Ball and Russell blew chances before this strike and Mills finished off the game by blowing another.

North Village: Z.Hendrickson; S.DeShields, J.Thomas, M.Hansey, K.Binns; T.Outerbridge, S.Goater, C.Dill (J.Boyles, 58 mins); K.Dill, D.Warren, V.Tankard (D.Coddington, 66 mins).

PHC: D.Joell; J.Ball (N.Simons, 75 mins), S.Lewis, C.Furbert, C.Dowling; O.Steede, J.Raynor, S.Russell (K.Mills, 64 mins); R.Lightbourne, D.Russell, S.Astwood.

Referee: Lyndon Raynor

Men of the match: Zane Hendrickson (Village); Raynel Lightbourne (PHC).

Cards: Yellow_ J.Thomas (Village); R.Lightbourne, C.Dowling (PHC).