By Howard Walker, Staff ReporterTHREE GOALS in 10 minutes were enough as Jamaica whipped Haiti 3-1 in their first round Group A match at the National Stadium yesterday and advanced to the next stage of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Digicel Cup.
In front of a small gathering, the new-look Reggae Boyz played a game of contrasting halves, but goals from Khari Stephenson (20th minute), Roland Dean (22nd) and Luton Shelton (30th) proved too much for the Haitians. Richardson Ulcena pull one back for the losers in the 41st minute.
Jamaica topped the group with maximum nine points from three wins while racking up an impressive 26 goals and conceding two, will now face St. Lucia on December 12 and 19 in a two-game second round knockout series with home and away matches.
National coach Wendell Downswell said he was satisfied with his team's performance, even though they faltered in the second half.
"We are pretty satisfied with what transpired today. I expected that the performance would have dropped but the good thing about it (is) we didn't concede any goal at that time," he said.
He added: "We got loose as the legs were going. We didn't have the sort of preparation as such and some way along the line we knew that our performance would drop and it did just that."
Commenting on their next fixture, the newly-appointed coach said: "We are looking forward to St. Lucia. We have some time to prepare and I must commend the players for what they have done in the little time."
Jamaica started the game slowly, showing a lot of patience while playing the ball around and keeping possession and it was no surprise when they took the lead.
Stephenson, fresh from gaining a first degree in economics, was on hand to volley home as the ball took a wicked deflection and wrong-footed Luidgi Beauzile in goal in the 20th minute.
Two minutes later Dean scored his sixth goal of the tournament and Jamaica's second when he latched onto a Jermaine Hue long pass, held off a defender before firing hard and low past the goalkeeper.
Midfield general Hue was on hand again as he fed a well-weighted through ball to his Harbour View teammate, Shelton, who dismissed two defenders and rifled a low shot past the hapless Beauzile.
Jamaican goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers had to wait until the 40th minute before he was tested and in the 41st he was beaten by Ulcena's shot inside the post.
