X-Roads 1 PHC Zebras 4

PHC Zebras ran roughshod over X-Roads courtesy of a hat-trick from midfielder Tre Ming at Wellington Oval on Saturday.

PHC opened their scoring in the thirteenth minute when Zakiyah Lee raced in on goal forcing Dashun Cooper, the X-Roads goalkeeper, to advance rapidly off his line. Lee’s shot rebounded off Cooper’s leg into the path of Ming, who wasted no time slotting home.

The Zebras scored again in the 20th minute after DeAndre Smith-Lightbourne provided a defence-splitting pass to Ming who notched his second.

Lee came close to scoring again after his effort was brilliantly turned aside by Cooper.

Then in the 40th minute Ming’s corner ricocheted off the chest of defender Q’Shai Darrell into his own goal.

During the interval Fareed El-Kharfa, the X-Roads coach, challenged his side to give greater effort after their insipid first half. His words seemed to do the trick, as they were rewarded for their efforts in the 63rd minute when Patrick Richardson’s wind-assisted cross from deep nestled into the net.

Donavan Thompson, the X-Roads striker, missed a good chance in the 72nd minute.

Ming struck a decisive blow, completing his hat-trick in the 78th minute when Jaheim Iris delivered a searching cross into the goalmouth, allowing the midfielder to tap home.

Scott Morton, the PHC coach, said: “I’m not pleased that we gave up a simple goal. We have two key players [Daren Usher and Cecoy Robinson] who are away with the Bermuda team [in Cuba], so I’m happy with how we played as a team.

“Our senior players stepped up their game and offered direction and stability to our younger players. I have to be happy with everyone’s performance.”

El-Kharfa said: “We had a difficult task ahead of us because we were missing five key players because of religious reasons.

“As this was a key game. We applied to the Bermuda Football Association to have the game played on a different day, but our request did not go through.

“We had other players unavailable because of red cards along with several injuries; it made things very difficult for us. In the second half our players dug in. If they could have scored a second goal earlier in the second half, it may have changed the complexion of the game.”

TEAMS

X Roads (4-2-3-1) D Copper — J Furbert, K Wilkinson, P Richardson, Q Darrell (sub: K Talbot, 57min) – D Thompson, Tei Lowe (sub: J Minks, 77), N Richardson, J Sanders — R Beck, S Thomas. Substitutes not used: T Pedro, Ter Lowe, K Hamilton, T Flood.

PHC Zebras (4-3-3) Shaq Trott — (sub: J Eve, 88min) — D Smith-Lightbourne, M Lambe, R DeShields, Shak Trott — T Ming (sub: Z Ming-Wilson, 82), M Waldron, |D Dowling, M Warren — J Iris, Z Lee (sub: M Wilson, 60). Substitutes not used: M Simmons, K Hypolite.

Referee: M Wyer.