President’s XI crush Grenada

The match was the first for the Soca Warriors since coach Leo Beenhakker shortlisted a 24-member squad for the FIFA World Cup in Germany a fortnight ago.

The majority of the estimated 3,000 crowd were still entering the venue when diminutive midfielder Baptiste opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

After his corner was initially cleared by the Grenadian defence, captain Aurtis Whitley collected the rebound on the right flank, skipped his way past defenders Kendell Frame and Dorset Langainge and, on the by-line, squared the ball to his Jabloteh clubmate Baptiste who powered his left-footer past the outstretched goalkeeper Desmond Noel.

Beenhakker varied his defensive formation, with left-back Avery John operating as a central defender with David Atiba Charles while Cyd Gray started on the left, instead of the right, and Silvio Spann taking Gray’s spot on the opposing flank.

With Grenada hardly posing an early threat, the national team, with Whitley and the recalled Rougier in the middle, forced another attack in the 15th with Spann sending a brilliant deep ball to Whitley who beat the off-side trap but placed his right-footer wide off the mark.

The first meaningful raid by Grenada came in the 22nd, when Shane Rennie sent his strike partner Kitshon Bain clear up front but, with Charles lurking, he blasted his right-footer high over the mark.

Whitley, operating in the middle, found Baptiste on the right and the midfielder ran into the middle before he forced Noel to make a low save with a stinging left-footed effort nine minutes later.

The Grenadian defence was again under pressure in the 36th, as Densil Theobald sent Anthony Wolfe clear up front and the energetic forward tied up Glasgow in the middle but his effort was cleared by the goalkeeper. The resultant corner by Whitley found Wolfe whose effort was tipped away, off the line, by Noel.

Even though Theobald and Rougier struggled to find their touch in the early stages, Trinidad and Tobago always seemed likely to double their lead, and they did so in the 43rd, through slick short-passing by Whitley and Theobald, which resulted in a one-and-one opportunity for Glasgow to drill home, via Noel’s fingertips.

Both goalscorers were substituted in the second half by Trent Noel (making his first national appearance in two years) and Evans Wise (his first international contest since 2002), with Wise operating on his favoured left-wing with John, Noel in the back with Charles, Gray on the right with Spann (ahead of him) and Theobald as the withdrawn striker.

Noel, who plays in the defensive midfield role for Jabloteh, and his clubmate Gray were slow to react to a rare Grenada foray, in the 55th, and TT keeper Clayton Ince made a fine save to deny Bain’s shot.

Wise fitted in nicely to the scheme of things, combining his dribbling skills with a series of short passes with John and Theobald, while testing the visitors with constant runs down the left.

It was one of those moves which forced a corner in the 74th, with Whitley’s low kick converted, from close range, by Rougier.

Whitley and Charles were subsequently replaced by Brent Rahim and Glenton Wolfe, but it was Wolfe’s younger brother Anthony who completed the scoring in the 77th. A quick build-up on the left involving John, Wise and Theobald saw Wise bursting clear on the left, zooming past Kerron Panchoo and forcing Noel to save his cross, but Anthony Wolfe met the rebound and slotted in the open net.

A misjudgment on a deep left-side freekick by Ince saw substitute Stephen Hood pull one back for the visitors in the 81st but the World Cup debutants maintained possession of the ball until the final whistle.

Both teams will again face off at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella from seven o’clock tonight.

Teams—

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Clayton Ince; David Atiba Charles (Glenton Wolfe 75th), Avery John, Cyd Gray, Silvio Spann; Anthony Rougier, Densil Theobald, Kerry Baptiste (Trent Noel 46th), Aurtis Whitley (capt) (Brent Rahim 75th); Anthony Wolfe, Gary Glasgow (Evans Wise 46th).

GRENADA: Desmond Noel; Eric George, Dorset Langiange, Kendell Frame (Wendell Rennie 65th), Kerron Panchoo; Ian Perotte (Stephen Hood 72nd), Franklyn Baptiste (capt), Dwayne Leo (Marvin Frederick 75th), Kyle Joseph (Nickel Paul 46th); Shane Rennie (Adrian Scott 65th), Kitshon Bain.