North Village coach Elliott Jennings has taken full responsibility for his team's capitulation against PHC Zebras who trounced the Red Army 7-1 to raise a fifth Charity Cup - and first in 15 years.

"I can't blame anyone else and I take full responsibility.

"Things just didn't work out how we planned but don't judge us by one game," the ex-Bermuda international said.

"We know where we went wrong and it was no big deal because we are not in full flow due to the unavailability of certain players."

According to Jennings pre-season training hasn't gone as well as planned.

Numbers have been low in attendance while key players such as Sammy DeGraff has headed to Brazil for pro-trials, while Keith Jennings is believed to be recovering from the effects of a long summer of football with the Bermuda Hogges and Island Soccer League (ISL).

College kids Keishen Bean, Shayne Hollis, Tyrell Burgess and Jason Williams also missed last weekend's season opener through overseas school commitments.

"Some of our players have been playing all summer and are a bit fatigued," Jennings added.

"We knew we were going to have a slow start due to low numbers in training because some players had other commitments.

"But we still have strength to come in and things are beginning to pick up."

PHC's lopsided win went a long way towards erasing painful memories of last season's 7-3 Friendship Trophy loss to Village and a 3-0 Charity Cup defeat to the same opponents in 2000-01. Zebras' margin of victory over the Reds was also the widest in Charity Cup history.

Jennings admitted that even he was shocked by the gravity of his team's humbling defeat and conceded that they were dismantled by a fitter PHC side that came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders.

"They did have a point to prove, but at the end of the day they did well.

"PHC played well and you can't take that away from them.

"We just weren't prepared as well as we should've been."

Jack Castle, Zebras' assistant coach, said his team was determined to avenge last season's Friendship drubbing at the hands of a Village side that denied PHC the prized Triple Crown (league, FA Cup and Friendship).

"We have had all summer to think about that (Friendship loss) - but it (Saturday's Charity Cup win) was nothing personal," the outspoken coach said.

"They gave us seven last season and we just had to do what we had to.

"They (Village) came short and we punished them - it's as simple as that.

"I knew we would beat them, but I didn't think we would beat them that bad.

"After 15 minutes Kyle (Zebras' head coach Kyle Lightbourne) and myself knew there was no way we were going to lose this game with our superior fitness.

"We were much fitter than Village in all areas on the park, which says a lot about what we are doing at PHC."