X-Roads 0 PHC Zebras 4

PHC Zebras were comprehensive 4-0 winners over host X-Road Warriors at Garrison Field yesterday. Diondre Dowling scored the only goal in the first half to make way for Keishon Bean to score his first Premier Division hat-trick in the second half to secure the points.

“At first we thought it was going to be a much harder game as X-Roads is a good team,” stated hat-trick hero Bean. “We are a very young team and trained hard to work on our fitness. That helped us to dominate the game today as we stayed competitive before taking over.”

Right from the start. PHC began the match in dominant form and in control of possession. However, it would be X-Roads to have the first attempt on goal when PHC keeper Shaquille Trott was called upon to block a right-footed, curling free kick from Chaz Trott. This would be the closest that the host team came to troubling the PHC keeper in the first half as the PHC defence, marshalled by Dowling and the dreadlocked Michael Lambe gave little away.

Not needing any help, X-Roads almost gifted PHC the opening goal when Tymon Daniels lost possession deep in his territory but Enrique Russell’s shot grazed the upright beyond the outstretched arm of X-Roads keeper Dashun Cooper.

It was just a matter of time when the possession would convert into a goal. A free kick from the right was allowed to bounce untouched across goal where Dowling was lurking at the back post.

His firm shot squeezed between keeper Cooper and the near post to open the scoring. X-Roads midfielder Calon Minors tried his luck with a 30-yarder which sailed just inches over the crossbar. X-Roads had a golden opportunity to score late in the first half when two PHC defenders couldn’t decide who was going to clear a Donovan Thompson’s through ball allowing Ian Coke a free run at goal but, in his excitement, knocked his first touch too long which keeper Trott easily collected.

X-Roads’ early dominance was short-lived and any chances of a comeback were dashed when Bean was on the receiving end of a long clearance to outrun his marker and beat keeper Cooper to the ball before rounding him and slotting into the empty net. Bean scored his second when Shakhai Trott’s corner was not cleared allowing him to drive the loose ball home through a maze of players.

Bean would close the scoring with PHC’s fourth and his third to complete his hat-trick when he cut inside from the right and steered the ball in at Cooper’s unmanned near post.

SCORERS

PHC Zebras: Dowling 13, Bean 61, 79, 90

TEAMS

X-Road Warriors (4-1-4-1): D Cooper – J Furbert, T Burgess, M Furr, C McDowall – C Minors – T Daniels (sub: T Perinchief, 71min), I Coke (sub: J Sanchez, 59), J Bean, C Trott (sub: R Turnbull, 59) – D Thompson. Substitutes not used: R Beek, A Burgess, Q Darrell, F Turnbull. Booked: T Burgess, Furr, McDowall.

PHC Zebras (4-2-3-1): Shaquille Trott – Shakhai Trott, D Smith-Lightbourne, M Lambe, D Dowling – M Joell, J Sealey (sub: C Booth, 71) – D Usher (sub: Z Lee, 84), M Warren, K Bean – E Russell. Substitutes not used: J Eve, M Simmons, J Joseph, K Hypolite, A Douglas. Booked: Sealey, Shakhai Trott.

Referee: A Francis.