From left, Shelton and Williams
Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter
FORWARD LUTON Shelton and midfielder Andy Williams yesterday scored crisp first-half goals in Jamaica's 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago, in their Digicel Caribbean Cup final round opener at the National Stadium in Waterford, Barbados.
Shelton put the Reggae Boyz ahead after 13 minutes, finishing a miscued shot fired from the left side of the Trinidadians' penalty box. The Jamaican teenager scored from dead-centre of goal, giving the Trinidadian goalkeeper no chance of keeping out his well-taken strike.
Playing aggressive football, the Reggae Boyz surged to a 2-0 lead 10 minutes before the break when American-based midfielder Williams glanced Jermaine Hue's corner kick into goal.
QUICK RESPONSE
However, before the Jamaicans' celebration died down, Trinidad struck on the counter when Nigel Pierre broke out of midfield, beautifully trapped the ball with defenders on either side and in the same motion lobbed goalie Shawn Sawyers racing off his line.
The Trinidadians came out aggressive for the second-half, putting in rough tackles and were lucky to end the game with 11 men.
However, Jamaica soon took control and had no fewer than three chances to extend their lead but Shelton failed to finish Fabian Davis' cross from close range and Hue's cracking left-footed shot from 20 yards was parried by the Trinidadian 'keeper.
Jamaica got an excellent chance to finish off World Cup hopefuls Trinidad and Tobago with less than five minutes left on the clock but substitute Teofore Bennett's shot from a rebound was blocked at the far post.
BOOSTER FOR JAMAICA
The win was a booster for Jamaica, who will next play Barbados tomorrow and Cuba on Thursday in their push for the US$100,000 top prize and one of three Caribbean spots to this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States.
Jamaica's technical director, Wendell Downswell, who had named Trinidad and Tobago as " the team to beat" is equally wary of Barbados and Cuba.
"Barbados, traditionally, have always hung on in there and have given us a little fight, and Cuba have always been a strong team," he said recently.
Barbados and Cuba met in the evening's second game.
The February 20-24 Digicel Caribbean Cup is Jamaica's last hope of saving face regionally after failing to qualify their Under-17s, Under-20s and most recently, the senior team, to their respective FIFA world tournaments.
In addition to keeping Jam-aica's football flag flying high, the cash-strapped Jamaica Foot-ball Federation (JFF) is hoping the Boyz will be able to take home the US$100,000 top prize on offer.
