PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz and St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) opened the Caribbean Football Union Youth Cup with handsome victories in the first round of matches yesterday.

While Jamaica cruised past Antigua and Barbuda 5-1 thanks to braces from Prince Samuel and Kavarst Bloomfeld, SVG easily trounced Turks and Caicos 4-1, led by a double from Myron Samuel.

Hosts Trinidad and Tobago were the disappointments of the opening round, however, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bermuda.

Playing at Fatima College in Group E, Jamaica were frustrated in the first half before finally getting on the scoresheet in the 31st minute through Carl Reid. Three minutes before the half-time whistle, Samuel netted his first to give Jamaica a 2-0 lead at the break.

Advantage

Six minutes after resumption, Bloomfeld stretched the scoreline with his first goal to put the match beyond doubt. He added a second in the 80th and Samuel completed his double at the death to increase the Antiguans' misery.

Elvin Thomas' 48th-minute strike was Antigua's consolation.

In Group A at St Mary's College, SVG were fired into the lead by Samuel who scored in the 22nd-minute and they doubled their advantage in the 39th-minute through Damien John.

Curlon Joseph was on target in the 66th-minute and Samuel added his second nine minutes later to ensure the rout for SVG. Matej Kral scored in the 80th with nothing left in the contest.

In other matches, Haiti blanked St Kitts/Nevis 2-0 at Guaracara Park in Group C with second-half strikes from Aitejacques Samuel (49th) and Louis Jessm four minutes from full-time.

Biggest winner

At Fatima College in Mucurapo, the Dominican Republic edged Netherland Antilles 2-1 to join Jamaica as Group E winners.

The day's biggest winners were Suriname who thrashed the US Virgin Islands 9-0 at Guaracara Park in Group F led by braces from Ryssel Stefano and Becker Miguel.

Grenada's last-minute withdrawal from the tournament forced the Group B match carded for the Plymouth Ground in Tobago to be called off.

Guyana and Barbados, the two other teams in the group, will now meet in two matches today and Sunday to determine the lone quarter-finalist from that group.