Prospect 0 PHC 1
By Stephen Wright
PHC striker Lloyd Holder jumped off the bench to save his team’s blushes against First Division Prospect with a late winner in yesterday’s FA Cup quarterfinal at Police Field.
The tie appeared to be heading for a replay before Holder launched himself at Idrees Sharieff’s cross to head the ball past Prospect goalkeeper Kentione Jennings just minutes before full time.
Prospect’s players vehemently protested to no avail that Holder’s goal should have been dissallowed after the assistant referee had briefly raised her flag for offside.
Rather than dwell on the controversial manner of PHC’s winner Prospect player-coach Kentoine Jennings bemoaned his defenders lack of concentration.
“The assistant ref put her flag and that caused our defenders to hesitate,” said the former North Village defender. “We thought she had ruled the goal offside but at the end of the day it’s our own fault for not playing to the whistle.”
Jennings, 39, produced another man of the match display for Prospect pulling off several superb saves to frustrate PHC’s shot-shy strikers. The ex-Bermuda international had been his team’s saviour in the previous round when they caused an upset by beating Boulevard, and yesterday he admitted to relishing his FA Cup run between the sticks for Prospect.
“I’ve had my time and I’m just playing because the players asked me to go in goal,” said the former Hereford United professional. “I’m just giving a bit back but I admit I’ve had some fun in goal and I enjoyed today’s game despite the defeat.”
In the first period Jennings made a number of saves, twice denying Quinton Burgess in one-on-ones while saving his best stop of the half until just before the interval when he flung himself low his right to tip Chris Furbert’s long range effort around the post.
After the break the visitors continued to create the better chances with Sharieff going close with a volley which was once again beaten away by Jennings. At the other end Prospect crafted a few openings of their own with sub Micah Young forcing a fumble from PHC keeper Raymond Glasford while Talif Caisey fired a shot over the bar from the edge of the box a chance he should probably done better with.
Jennings said he was proud of his team’s efforts and believed they had given a good account of themselves against the Premier Division powerhouse Zebras.
“I can’t fault my players today, I though we played very well and I’m proud of their performance,” he said. “In the FA Cup anything can happen and on another day we could have got the result.”
Prospect: K Jennings, Q Robinson, N Woods, W Reid, B Harris, D Evans, J Hunt, J Laws, S Swan (M Young 75), T Caisey, Q Francis
Subs not used: J Belboda, D Joell, R Bean
Yellow card: Reid
PHC: R Glasford, J Ball, C Dowling, O Shakir, M Lambe, B Bean, C Furbert, Cofield Robinson (J Franklin, 85) A Grant (Cecoy Robinson, 72), L. Holder, 77), I Sharieff, Q Burgess
Subs not used: D. Baxter, K Lightbourne, J Sealey
Goal: Holder, 88
Yellow cards: Cofield Robinson, Cecoy Robinson
Referee: S Allen
Man of the match: Jennings (Prospect)
Brendon Harris 