X-Roads 0 PHC 7

Jenico Sealey bagged his second hat-trick of the season to spearhead PHC Zebras’ charge back to the top of the Premier Division after they demolished X-Roads Warriors on Sunday.

Starting the day in third place behind Devonshire Cougars and St George’s, there was little room for error for Winston Trott Jr’s side and they produced a sparkling performance to banish the memories of their last league match when they lost 4-0 at home to Hamilton Parish

Sealey opened his account just before the interval and added two more in the second half in a game the visitors dominated throughout.

Keishon Bean, T’ysi Showers, captain Marco Warren and substitute Kenneth Matthie also got their names on the scoresheet as PHC finished the day point clear of Cougars.

As well as getting in on the scoring act, Warren also had a hand in another three goals and gelled nicely in the attacking third with Sealey, who took his chances well to claim the match ball.

“Marco put the ball in the spaces to supply the chances and I just finished them off,” Sealey said.

“I think the team played good overall and built on the momentum from our last game in the FA Cup quarter-finals. The wind made it very challenging but we had to master the conditions, get on top of our game and we got the result.”

Trott was delighted to see his team come away victorious but believes one of the closest title races in recent memory is far from over.

“This one is going to go right down to the wire so we have to get our points when we can,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of keeping as focused as we can and keeping our eye on the prize. But it’s going to take some work because nobody is going to give away easy games.”

As for Sealey’s clinical marksmanship, Trott said: “He played really good. I gave him a few jobs to do and he executed so it was nice to see.”

X-Roads lost their shape early as PHC exploited the spacious pitch and they took the lead in the fifth minute when birthday boy Bean exchanged passes with former X-Roads player Paul Simons before lashing past Jamin Furbert from a tight angle on the left side of the box.

Simons then dragged wide and had a shot smothered by Furbert from point-blank range as PHC pressed on in search of more goals with the wind at their back.

They finally broke through again in the 40th minute when Sealey swept home in a goalmouth scramble from Warren’s corner to earn the visitors a two-goal advantage at the break.

X-Roads wasted a good opportunity at the start of the second half after PHC and Bermuda central defender Jaylon Bather conceded a free kick in a dangerous area, which midfielder Kahmori Brangman blazed well over the bar, before Sealey put the game beyond in the 60th minute when latching on to Warren’s defence-splitting pass and firing into the far-bottom corner from a slight angle.

Showers made it 4-0 five-minutes later after rifling past Furbert in heavy traffic on the left side of the box and Warren then converted from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after Sealey was brought down.

Sealey completed his treble two minutes later after tapping in Warren’s cross from the left for his eighth goal of the season.

X-Roads had a confident appeal for a penalty fall on deaf ears after substitute Emmanuel Mensah went down under a challenge in the box just seconds after coming onto the pitch.

At the other end Simons had another close range shot saved by Furbert before Matthie nodded in fellow substitute Dimitrus Richardson’s cross at the back post to complete the rout.

SCORERS

PHC

Sealey 40, 60, 75; Bean 5; Showers 65; Warren (pen) 73; Matthie (sub) 90+1.

TEAMS

X-Roads (4-5-1): J Furbert 5 - O Williams 5 (sub: R Beek, 50min 5), D Telemon 5, L Simmons 5, N Smith 5 - A Daniels 5, T Daniels 5, D Simons 5 (sub: E Mensah, 78), K Brangman 5, Z McCarter 5 (sub: D Woolridge, 50 5) - A Wilson 5. Booked: Simons, Beek. Substitutes not used: T Perinchief, D Thompson.

PHC (4-1-4-1): C Fubler 7 - D Smith-Lightbourne 7, J Bather 7, D Dowling 7, A McDowall 7 (sub: S Trott, 60 7) - T Showers 8 (sub: J Hassell, 86) - M Warren 8, S Nisbett 7 (sub: K Matthie, 81), J Sealey 8 (sub: D Richardson, 81), K Bean 7 (sub: A Richardson, 81) - P Simons 7. Substitutes not used: J Richardson, K Lewis.

Referee: G Swainson.