Dandy Town 1

Beach 6

PHC 0>

Dandy Town avenged their FA Cup final defeat last year by knocking out holders PHC in last night's semi-final.

A Raymond Beach goal after just six minutes was enough to settle a rather tepid affair in which PHC looked like they had neither the stomach nor the energy to defend their title.

Kyle Lightbourne's side were run ragged by Hornets for much of the game, and even in the closing stages, with the cup slipping from their grasp, seemed unable to find a higher gear that may have changed the outcome.

Even if they had a higher gear it is doubtless it would have made a difference however, as their finishing was as woeful as their defending. They forced Town goalkeeper Mikkail Crockwell to make just one save during the entire 90 minutes.

To give Crockwell his due, it was a tremendous reaction save which kept out a Keston Lewis pile-driver from inside the area, but it would have been an injustice of the highest order had PHC taken anything from the game.

Not that Dandy Town were at their best, but they had no need to be. After Beach had put his side in front, when he was left completely unmarked from a corner, any ball sent towards the PHC box caused total panic.

Too often PHC central defenders Omar Shakir and Tokia Russell allowed the ball to bounce before dealing with it, and with Beach occupying the space between the pair, and Heys Wolfe snapping around the fringes it seemed only a matter of time before Hornets would add a second.

That they didn't was as much down to some scrambling PHC defence as it was to Town's own ineptitude.

Several times Shakir made last ditch tackles to deny Town, and when he did it illegally, last year's beaten finalists conspired to make a mess of things.

The second half followed a similar pattern, although PHC did threaten on occasion, with Lewis, Cecoy Robinson, and substitute Stevie Astwood all getting a glimpse of goal.

In the end however Lewis' second half effort was as close as they got, and Town's slim double hopes remain alive.

Dandy Town: M Crockwell, E Signor, J-Q Stowe, K Lathan, S Smith, C Smith, J Swan (D Leverock, 77), J Dickinson (D Signor, 65), L Dill, H Wolfe, R Beach. Subs not used: S Brown, A O'Brien, J Furbert, K Goddard, K Sampson.

PHC Zebras: R Glasford, C Dowling (J Ball, 15), O Shakir, T Russell, K Richards, B Bean, C Furbert, K Lewis, C Robinson (C Castle, 78), D Russell (S Astwood, 66), K Lambe. Subs not used: J Smith, M Lambe, J Sealey, Q Burgess. Booked Furbert

Man of the match: J Swan

Referee: A Reid