Revenge was sweet for PHC Zebras at St John’s Field where the FA Cup holders came away with a 3-0 win to advance to the semi-finals of the competition yesterday.

It was Dandy Town who started PHC’s three-game winless run when they beat them 3-0 in the league last month.

However, PHC came away smiling after three second-half goals stung the Hornets in their own nest. The loss was Town’s first since December 17 when North Village beat them in the Friendship Trophy quarter-finals.

PHC were deserving of the victory, after an error by Troy Hall Jr, the former PHC goalkeeper, gifted Tre Ming the opening goal after 53 minutes.

Captain Cecoy Robinson doubled the lead on the hour before Town suffered a double blow in the 81st minute, losing defender Eusebio Blankendal to a straight red card for a professional foul on Marco Warren before Robinson converted the penalty for his second goal of the game.

“Today was all about the guts and the fight that was required in an FA Cup quarter-final, so it was important that was shown,” Scott Morton, the PHC coach, said.

“We always like to look at the performance, and that’s always on the top of my list, but I can’t be more happy today because we didn’t concede any goals and scored three goals.

“We brought out the cup today to let them know, ‘This is what you’re defending, this is what you’re fighting for, so you have to bring more than what your opponents bring.”

Town were the better team in the first half, going closest to scoring in the 20th minute when striker Ian Coke glanced a shot from a cross onto the far post.

Minutes earlier Tomiko Goater was put through by Coke but goalkeeper Shaquille Trott blocked his shot with his legs near the edge of the box.

Tre Ming put a shot wide of the far post midway through the first half before Angelo Simmons at the other end drove a shot from 20 yards inches over the bar.

PHC may have been inspired by a group of five-year-olds at half-time as youngsters from Dandy Town and PHC, wearing their club colours, entertained the crowd during the break in a four-a-side match.

The deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when the deadlock was broken. Tre Ming chased a ball towards the Town box and when the advancing Hall dropped the ball, Ming accepted the gift to score into an empty goal.

Ming turned provider on the hour, sent away down the right by Robinson before his pass was met by Robinson who hit a low shot inside the far post out of the reach of the diving Hall.

PHC were well in control after that, doing most of the attacking as Town lacked the fluency in their play. They brought on Nizigh Spence, who scored their second goal in the recent win over PHC, in the 68th minute before a double substitution two minutes later saw Dennis Russell and Dreshun Butterfield come on for defenders Oneko Lowe and Kwame Steede as Town switched to three at the back.

However, the match was put out of their reach in the 81st minute when Blankendal pulled back Warren after he got through on the left side. Referee Martin Wyer showed the defender a straight red before Robinson stepped up to convert the spot kick.

“What I just did was an adjustment to some of the things that Dandy Town were successful at, getting back to exploiting them with our pace and our creativity,” Morton said.

“We can’t look to the final yet, the next match is the most important match and when that one comes we’ll be just as ready.”

• The BFA confirmed on Friday that the semi-final matches scheduled for Thursday, March 22, have been brought forward to March 13.