Reggae Boyz beat Guyana 4-0 but Whitmore wants improvement

Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

SAINTE-LUCE, Martinique.

DESPITE hammering Guyana 4-0 in their last Group I Digicel Caribbean Cup (DCC) match at the Riviere Pilote Stadium on Wednesday night, Reggae Boyz head coach, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, thinks there is room for improvement as they strive towards defending their title.

"It wasn't a hundred per cent, we gave away the ball cheaply at times," observed Whitmore. "But I think the finishing, the four goals could cap off the game."

St. George's College schoolboy, Marvin Morgan Jr. (49th, 75th), playing in his second international, netted his first international goal for his country and actually led all scorers with a double, after gracing the pitch at half-time. Dane Richards (43rd) and Eric Vernan, MVP of the last DCC, rounded off the scoring at the 90th minute.

The 18-year-old Morgan, one of two schoolboys who graced the turf at half-time, played with a lot of confidence and also had an assist on the final goal.

Clarendon College's 18-year-old, Sergio Campbell, the national Under-20 football team skipper and nephew of central midfielder Rodolph Austin, also played a game well beyond his years in a Jamaican performance that got increasingly dominant, following a slow start in which they marshalled possession, but could not forge any clear scoring openings until nearly half hour when Ryan Johnson and Luton Shelton almost hit the target.

Tight midfield

Richard Edwards held the midfield tight and compact with flowing passes, in tandem with Keammar Daley, who had his best game while as he stroked around the ball and made smooth turns to wriggle free from tight situations to keep the game flowing.

Johnson, who has become a regular scorer in the team but has been coming off the bench this tournament since arriving late due to family commitments, was among six changes to the starting team. He played the full 90 minutes and got valuable playing time, as Whitmore readies him for possibly full action in these decisive stages to which the Reggae Boyz have advanced menacingly, by scoring nine goals and conceding only one.

"I think Ryan is a bit rusty, you could see it in his game in terms of touches and everything," Whitmore pointed out. "But we have Ryan and we have Cummings (Omar), so it is something we will have to sit and look at, in which direction we are going for the semi-final."

The dangerous and pacy Luton Shelton and Richards, who have both scored two goals here, will start in the semis.

While Johnson did not score this time, he gifted Morgan his goals with two beautiful assists, laid across the goalkeeper in an empty goalmouth, from which the teen could not miss.