A consolation goal scored by winger Shawn Simons proved to be the only satisfaction PHC got out of this Dudley Eve opener at Somerset Cricket Club last night.

Otherwise honours during this encounter went to the home team for whom victory was well merited as a result of their greater ambition to get out of the starting blocks early.

With skipper Reggie Tucker methodically throwing his team into top gear with a classy performance in midfield the Trojans scored two goals in each half to smash any cultured challenge that PHC had hoped to offer.

Going into the night the Trojans coach Josef Gooden confessed that his team were somewhat unsettled because of many injuries, but on the night's performance the more unsettled team surely were PHC.

Except for the start and finish of the second half when they played with more imagination and pinned down the defence, PHC were forced to play second-fiddle soccer the Trojans who often demonstrated more ambition.

What made it worse for PHC is that they were rocked early by an own goal off midfielder Otis Steede after just four minutes when a Tucker corner went off center-half Shaun Roberts and was then deflected into goal off the PHC player.

With Tucker and Steval Arorash taking complete charge of midfield the Trojans dictated play until the half with Arorash and Rodney Bascome putting shots over from close range after 18 and 20 minutes.

PHC's lone chance in the half came after 22 minutes when right full-back Anthony Stovell's 25-yard drive caught Andre Hendrickson off his goal line and luckily for the Trojans centre-half Jermaine Burrows was in position to head the ball away at the last minute.

The Trojans took a 2-0 lead after 39 minutes when centre-half Blake Simons brought down Curtis Grant and the resulting penalty saw Duane Deroza make his kick good.

The out of form Bascome finished off the half by putting another effort over for the home team.

PHC played with more purprose and urgency when the second half started and they managed to take the upperhand for the first 15 minutes with Steede, Shawn Simons and Sheridan Ming putting shots over from outside the penalty box.

It was during a quick counter attack when the Trojans were able to put the result out of reach of their opponents with Kwame Tucker crossing from the left to allow Tucker to steer the ball home from 10 yards after 59 minutes.

The Trojans pressed on and the speedy Lamaul Crofton, who came on for Bascome to start the second half, volleyed a Andrew Rahman cross over from 16 yards after 66 minutes while PHC showed no real signs of doing any great harm.

Crofton made it 4-0 after 77 minutes when he slammed home a cross from his skipper.

PHC pulled a goal back through Simons after 84 minutes and pressed hard for another, but the defence held firm.

Somerset Trojans: A.Hendrickson; A.Rahman, S.Roberts, J.Burrows, N.Woods, D.Deroza; R.Tucker, S.Arorash; K.Tucker, C.Grant (R.Scott, 38 min), R.Bascome (L.Crofton, 45 min).

PHC: T.Williams; A.Stovell, B.Simons, D.Outerbridge, M.Wade; B.Bean, S.Swan, O.Steede (W.Trott, 62 min), S.Ming; R.Lightbourne (K.Burt, 75 min), S.Simons.

Referee: Roddy Burchall Men of the match: Reggie Tucker (Trojans); Dano Outerbridge (PHC).