Somerset striker Rodney Bascome equalised with five minutes remaining to cap an exciting second half at Somerset Cricket Club on Saturday night.

The match between these perennial cup giants exploded into life with five goals in the last 45 minutes after left back Anthony Burchall had given the home side a half-time lead with a thunderous shot.

PHC struck back through Blenn Bean, Dano Outerbridge and substitute Winston Trott while Bascome scored twice for Somerset.

It was a welcome point for PHC who had goalkeeper Ty Williams to thank for not being totally overrun while, at the other end, Andre Hendrickson had perhaps his weakest performance of the season.

Somerset enjoyed the best of the early going as Bascome deflected a hard Curtis Grant cross wide and Duane DeRoza sent a scathing 35-yard drive a few feet wide of the right upright after a 20-yard running start.

Williams was first called into action in the 22nd minute when he plucked a Jerry Webb header out of the air. A minute later, the 'keeper saved bravely at the feet of Randy Simmons after the neat midfielder and Bascome opened up the middle of the PHC defence.

Meanwhile, PHC were having problems getting started against Somerset's five-man rearguard. Kenny Burt's left-foot shot well off target in the 18th minute was their first offering.

Then, Somerset struck in the 27th minute and what a beauty it was.

Burchall, meandering from his defensive position, picked up the ball 25 yards out on the left and hit a drive that crashed in off the far post before Williams had chance to react.

It was a strike of high quality and the Trojans were deserving of the lead on the balance of play.

PHC were thrust into action by the setback and should have drawn level five minutes later when Raynel Lightbourne was put through a static Somerset defence by Ottis Steede. But the forward fluffed his kick with Hendrickson at his mercy.

Two minutes later, Burt got into a dangerous position on the right but his cross past Hendrickson was not met, winger Shawn Simons badly trailing the play.

Given the quality of Somerset's goal and the two chances that went begging for the Zebras, it was felt that PHC's finishing would come back to haunt them.

Hendrickson's indifferent goalkeeping was not anticipated, however, and PHC found themselves ahead 15 minutes into the second half. Bascome had two chances before PHC scored, though.

First he mis-timed his run and side-footed Grant's firm cross wide of the near post. Then he had a header from point-blank range saved by the instinctive Williams.

PHC were back in the match in the 57th minute when Bean's innocuous-looking free kick from the left slipped through Hendrickson's clutches and into the net.

Three minutes later, Hendrickson unlawfully caught a Jermaine Burrows back pass near the penalty spot and Outerbridge rammed the indirect free kick through the defensive wall.

Right from the kick-off Somerset threatened but Williams intercepted a low Grant drive at full stretch and the defence cleared.

PHC were forced to make a defensive replacement soon after as sweeper Frank Ming hobbled off.

Somerset continued to press and were rewarded in the 66th minute when Bascome scored from close range after Williams did well to save from Burrows, Reggie Tucker and Webb combining to open the PHC defence.

As the half progressed, Somerset looked the likelier to regain the lead.

Substitute Lamaul Crofton was denied by a timely tackle in the 75th minute after Bascome crossed.

In the 84th minute, PHC scored out of nothing.

Trott, on eight minutes earlier for the uninspiring Lightbourne, caught Hendrickson off his line and netted with a looping shot from 20 yards after taking a pass from Sheridan Ming.

Somerset had the final say in a pulsating match -- and well they should have -- when in their next attack, Bascome's glancing header from another Webb left-wing cross went in after one bounce. Somerset: A.Hendrickson; A.Burchall, J.Burrows, A.Rahman, D.DeRoza, R.Butterfield; C.Grant (L.Crofton, 70 mins), R.Simmons, R.Tucker; J.Webb, R.Bascome.

PHC: T.Williams; B.Bean, F.Ming (R.Lewis, 62 mins), D.Outerbridge, S.Trott; S.Ming, M.Wade, O.Steede; S.Simons, K.Burt, R.Lightbourne (W.Trott, 76 mins).

Referee: Chris Terry.

Men of the match: Rodney Bascome (Somerset); Ty Williams (PHC).

In the first match, Dandy Stars defeated PHC Teasers 2-0 in the Women's Division. PHC goalkeeper Raynelle Brangman incredibly headed into her own net in the 58th minute and Shawnette Smith closed out the scoring in the 71st minute with a left-foot shot from the edge of the area.