Skipper Mike Dill and two of his PHC team-mates sat motionless on the bench with their heads held low in despair after this match ended scoreless at Southampton Oval.

This was clear proof that frustration over continued lack of success still plagues the PHC squad who had hoped to gain some ground in the First Division tables with two points from Southampton to improve on their lowly ninth-place position.

Southampton, who are labouring just one place above PHC, were likewise looking for maximum points to improve on their position but the home team were still a much more cheerful group when it was all over.

Despite the dissatisfaction of some of the PHC players, coach Alfred Eve seemed to be more relaxed and, like his counterpart Wendell Simmons of Southampton, must have been satisfied as well with the creditable performance that the players gave.

But it is goals that count and this was a game that saw both attacks having their problems with good approach work petering out time and time again as they reached the penalty area.

It was PHC, though, who looked the sharper for longer periods, but Southampton always managed to recover after a raid and proved capable of making counter-attacks whenever PHC were caught short in their defence.

PHC held a decisive edge from the start with striker Sheridan Ming putting a shot over from the edge of the area after just 80 seconds and then following this up with a drive into the chest of goalkeeper Randy Darrell 15 minutes later.

What proved to be the real miss of the game came after 20 minutes when defender Meshach Wade blew an attempt to head home a Sammy Swan free kick when, from just 10 yards away from goal, he completely missed the ball.

Southampton, with Kenny Burt getting little help up front, came back and were unlucky two minutes later when goalkeeper Damien Tucker made a mess of an attempted clearance to enable Omari Hart to get a shot off. But Mike Dill made a long stride to his right to sensationally clear it off the goal-line.

For the rest of the half, PHC dominated with Wade, Raynel Lightbourne and Sammy Swan prominent down the right flank.

Play was more competitive in the second half but the trend of poor finishing that prevailed earlier continued to affect both attacks.

After 55 minutes, Swan had another free kick just outside the box and this time Wade leaped above the defence but his header was grabbed by goalkeeper Darrell.

In a counter-attack shortly afterwards young full-back Blenn Bean rescued PHC when he was in position to clear a header by Olin Jones off the line after a corner by Corey Simmons.

Play see-sawed for the rest of the game with chances only coming near the end with Burt narrowly placing a drive over from an angle on the right and Ming robbed off posession from close range when he was about to shoot.

Southampton: R.Darrell; R.Belboda, P.Brangman, D.Charles, T.Jones; G.Steede, O.Jones, C.Simmons; J.Raynor, K.Burt, O.Hart.

PHC: D.Tucker; M.Wade, M.Dill, B.Simons, B.Bean; S.Swan, O.Steede, T.Russell (K.Dill, 32 mins); D.Wolffe, S.Ming, R.Lightbourne.

Referee: Roddy Burchall.

Men of the match: Corey Simmons (Southampton); Sammy Swan (PHC).

MAN IN THE MIDDLE -- Kenny Burt seems to have the step on PHC's Blenn Bean, left, and Mike Dill during yesterday's scoreless draw at Southampton Oval.