PHC Zebras 0 North Village 0

(PHC win 4-2 on penalties)

PHC Zebras beat North Village in a penalty shoot-out in the first semi-final of the Expansion LG Festive Tournament at Goose Gosling Field yesterday played in a steady downpour of heavenly showers.

The teams played to a goalless stalemate before PHC emerged victorious in the shoot-out and will face Devonshire Colts in the finals on Wednesday.

Despite the slippery and wet conditions, both teams tried to play attractive football, keeping the ball on the ground and trying to make penetrating passes.

Both defences stood firm with the first real attempt coming after 15 minutes when Village’s Justin Bell dribbled forward into the PHC penalty area from the halfway line before his low cross beat the outstretched foot of striker Jaizel Smith-DeShields and rolled wide of goal.

PHC’s first attempt came from Kushae Hypolite late in the half when he intercepted a loose ball and ran at goal only for Village goalkeeper Detre Bell to smother the ball at his feet. PHC thought they had scored just before the interval when a diagonal, crossfield ball found Jenico Sealey who hit a firm drive which just missed the upright by inches.

The teams went into the break on level terms thanks to firm defending from PHC’s defender Diandre Dowling and Village’s defender Z’chai Jennings Barnett, respectively. The second half started with both teams playing with more intensity but guilty of careless and reckless tackles. The goalkeepers were mere spectators as shots at goal were few and far between.

Village almost scored in the 60th minute when Jecoa Thomas’s cross into the box was met by the head of Zenawi Bowen, who beat the advancing PHC goalkeeper Calvin Thomas to the ball but it sailed over the top as both players collided in mid-air. The game remained scoreless and had to go into penalty kicks. Dowling, Sealey, Corey Booth and Omari Tucker scored for PHC, with Mikal Simmons the only miss.

Village replied with Bell and CheKai Caisey as their scorers while there were misses from Akim Johnston and Jennings Barnett.

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-4-2): C Thomas — M Simmons, J Hassell, D Dowling, Z Lee — K Hall, C Booth, O Tucker, N Edwards — S Trott, E Sharrieff-Holdipp. Booked: D Dowling

North Village (4-3-3): D Bell — A Johnston, Z Jennings Barnett, K Knights, J Thomas — C Caisey, M Thomas, J Bell — Z Hendrickson, Z Dill, J Smith-DeShields. Booked: TyeJae Burchall

Referee: D Jackson