Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer 
Downswell... We were looking for a larger margin of victory but they came very tactical.
THE 'EXPLOSIVE and compact' game promised by national coach Wendell Downswell never materialised yesterday but the Reggae Boyz nonetheless scraped past St. Lucia 2-1 in their Digicel Caribbean Cup return leg encounter at the National Stadium.
"Jamaica won but Jamaica had to work for their victory," St. Lucia's coach, Carson Miller, said after the match.
Harbour View midfielder Jermaine Hue scored the winner in the 67th minute from a 25-yard free kick that goalkeeper Mentor Abraham got his hand to but could not stop.
Jamaica had earlier got off to a flying start when Roland Dean netted in the first minute but that strike was cancelled by Elva Titus in the 23rd.
As a result of the win, the Boyz inched closer to a place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup to be held in the United States next year.
FORCED TO SETTLE
Last Sunday, the Reggae Boyz were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in Castries, St. Lucia. With yesterday's 2-1 result, the Boyz advanced to a two-way play-off, January 9 and 16, against French Guyana. The winner of that tie will advance to Barbados where they will compete alongside the host and two other teams for one of three Gold Cup places.
The sprinkling of spectators on hand to witness the game had hardly settled into their seats when Dean tapped a Luton Shelton cross past Abraham to push the Boyz ahead.
St. Lucia were on the ropes even before they had strung a couple of passes together but the new-look Boyz failed to push home the advantage. Dean and Shelton in particular got a couple of chances to nail St. Lucia
but the opportunities all went a begging.
After unmarked Titus drove his shot past Shawn Sawyers to bring St. Lucia level in the 23rd minute, Jamaica realised that their road to the Gold Cup and the right to be called Caribbean Champions could be more rugged than they had anticipated.
St. Lucia had found a rhythm and attacked with even more purpose. On 30 minutes they strung 12 passes together before striker Earl Jean decided to take on Damion Stewart and Jermaine Taylor. He raced past them but his effort cannoned into the display boards behind the goal.
Jamaica almost took the lead on the stroke of half-time but Shelton's header from Fabian Davis' corner kick was saved on the line by defender Mogabi Polius.
The teams went to the break at 1-1 but Hue's free-kick made the difference midway the half, a thumping left-footer that flew over a six-man wall and under the crossbar, even though the goalie touched it.
HESITATION
Were it not for substitute Keith Kelly's hesitation in taking a shot in the last minute of the game, the scoreline could have been different.
Downswell said he came up against a more prepared St. Lucian team.
"We were looking for a larger margin of victory but they came very tactical. I think they played well, a very spirited performance for them," he said.
"From we got the early goal I don't know what happened but we did not consolidate on our early position. Had we scored in the next 10 or 15 minutes when we got two chances, we could have put it beyond them," Downswell said.
He added that based on the fact that the team had not been training together for very long, the way they played as a unit was encouraging.
"There is a tremendous hope for this team once we can improve the length of time for preparation. We have until January 9 and that I think is a fair amount of time on our hands to get ready for the next stage."
