Dandy Town 2

PHC Zebras 0

Dandy Town Hornets rung in the festive season with a hard fought victory that put a dent in Zebras' previously unblemished record at St.John's Field yesterday.

A brace by former PHC target man Antwan Russell gave Hornets a timely confidence booster and catapulted the youth explosion - the second coming - into the Dudley Eve competition.

But Hornet's victory was not served to them on a silver platter. It was Zebras who piled on the pressure for long spells only to stumble in and around the box when it looked easier to score.

The visitors had a third-minute goal disallowed for off-side and hit the woodwork twice. But where Kyle Lightbourne's charges faltered, the Hornets prevailed - Zebras' nemesis Russell hitting the target either side of the interval to give his team much reason to celebrate after dismantling the Martonmere Cup champions.

Russell, however, wasn't the only Hornet to come up huge on the day. Seventeen-year-old 'keeper Mikkail Crockwell - playing at a level and intensity well beyond his tender years - also proved to be the difference between Town producing the goods and becoming just another statistic.

With Zebras attacking at will throughout, the youngster was repeatedly called into action. And Crockwell responded admirably to the call to duty, whether bravely rushing off his line to gather a threatening cross or throwing himself between the 'sticks to keep PHC at bay.

Hornets also had another promising youngster, Mahki Wells, to thank as his relentless hustle in the middle of the park poked holes in the Zebras defence to provide just enough real estate for his front runners to run into.

Zebras were by far the better team in the first-half but found themselves trailing a goal down at the break after the temperamental Russell - who bickered with the match officials all afternoon - sprung the offside trap and lobbed the onrushing Raymon Glasford.

Russell's strike proved to be an omen for Glasford, who was later sent off for a crunching tackle on Town's two-goal hero as he sped towards goal, while Hornets were forced to make an unexpected first-half substitution when defender Keimon Lathan limped off hurt.

Zebras continued to spurn chances after the break and again it cost them dearly. Russell stretched Hornet's lead from the penalty spot after young Wells was tripped up in the box during a quick counterattack that caught the visitors short at the back. Russell drilled his retaken kick past Glasford, who was clearly not up to his best on this occasion.

But Zebras were determined not to go down without a fight and with better luck might have cut it close - or perhaps gone one better had it not been for woodwork seemingly touched by angels.

First, striker Jahnai Raynor, making his first start since returning from studies abroad, watched as his rasping volley dipped onto the bar and then just when it appeared as though PHC's pressure would finally tell Dennis Russell's low free-kick under a flinching wall came back off the upright with Crockwell obscured by a thicket of legs.

But Zebras' misery wasn't over just yet as the match took one last twist in the closing minutes with 'keeper Glasford receiving his marching orders for a flagrant foul and defender Corey Dowling hubbling off painfully with a suspected dislocated shoulder.

Dandy Town: M.Crockwell, K.Lathan, D.Signor, K.Simmons (S.Darrell, 43 mins), E.Signor, O.Steede, D.Zuill, M.Parsons (L.Dill, 68 mins), M.Wells (S.Smith, 78 mins), H.Wolfe, A.Russell

PHC: R.Glasford, K.Richards, C.Dowling (Q.Hunt, 87 mins), O.Shakir (capt), I.Barry, J.Ball (J.Almedia, 80 mins), K.Lewis, B.Bean, J.Raynor (K.Lambe, 69 mins), D.Russell, C.Robinson.

Sent off: R.Glasford (PHC)

Men of the match: A.Russell (Town); K.Richards (PHC).

Referee: Anthony Mouchette.