Substitute McLee Smith pounced three minutes from time to send PHC six points clear at the top of the Premier Division and consign champions Vasco to their first league defeat of the season at BAA last night.

Smith struck when a corner wasn't cleared, turning and firing through a crowd of players to take the limelight away from Vasco substitute Sinclair Gibbons who had pulled his side level with 12 minutes remaining.

Vasco coach John Rebello seemed to have pulled off a masterstroke when he sent on Gibbons and Irving Burgess for ineffectual front pair Dwight Basden and Chris Anderson in the 64th minute.

Suddenly PHC's defence was being caught square by long balls into the channels which the replacements were willing to tear after.

Both Gibbons and Burgess had missed great opportunities as Vasco fought to get into the game following Vic Ball's 52nd minute opener.

Keith Jennings twice provided excellent balls for Burgess, only to see the chances go to waste. Then Gibbons latched on to a huge drop kick from goalkeeper Tim Figuerido, but couldn't force the ball past PHC stopper Carlyle Crockwell.

Gibbons almost got behind the PHC defence again as Burgess turned provider, heading the ball neatly into his path.

But Vasco finally got their reward in the 78th minute, as Jennings' clever dummy allowed the ball to run to Gibbons on the edge of the area and he shot low and accurately past Crockwell.

PHC had taken the lead seven minutes after the break with the one piece of bright football in a gloomy exhibition from the sides occupying the top two places in the standings.

Ball arrived late to drill his shot past a motionless Figuerido after Kenny Mills turned his defender and delivered the ball perfectly to the edge of the box.

Figuerido was the busier of the two keepers in the first 45 minutes -- but that wasn't saying much.

After he went down well to his right to smother a PHC effort in the fifth minute he was rarely seriously bothered as both teams indulged in kick and rush of the most tedious variety.

Stephen Astwood, with five league goals this year, sent a free kick from 22 yards just too high after Derek Stapley had been penalised for a foul in the 13th minute and Mills saw his 43rd minute shot dip over in an otherwise uneventful 45 minutes.

Vasco: T.Figuerido, D.Stapley, T.Dickenson, A.Caisey, A.Tyrell, J.Belboda (C.Caisey 81 mins), K.Smith, K.Burchall, K.Jennings, D.Basden (S.Gibbons 64 mins), C.Anderson (I.Burgess 64 mins) PHC: C.Crockwell, E.Hunt, H.Tucker, R.Lewis, V.Ball, O.Steede, K.Mills (D.Wainwright 70 mins), A.Washington, R.Mallory, T.Darrell (M.Smith 64 mins), S.Astwood Referee: Richard Knights Men of the match: K.Jennings (Vasco); V.Ball (PHC) Yellow cards: K.Jennings (Vasco)