TT whip Guyana 2-0 in U-20 opener

GOALS in either half by strikers Kevin Crooks, 34th minute, and Shane Calderon in second half time-added, gave Trinidad and Tobago an easy 2-0 win over Guyana as action in the CONCACAF Under-20 Caribbean Zone Group A qualifiers began at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Tunapuna. In the earlier match on Wednesday, Barbados got an 86th minute goal from Quincy Atherly to defeat Grenada 1-0. TT coach Anton Corneal was honest in his assessment of his team’s performance, stating: “we got a lot of chances to score. “I would’ve been worried if we weren’t getting (any chances),” added the ex-national striker. “It was a good game and a good result. I thought we had the majority of the game and it’s a good start for us.”

The hosts had an early setback when striker Abiola Sandy suffered an injured right instep in the fifth minute, after colliding with Guyanese goalkeeper Fidel Smith and was eventually replaced by Kevin Crooks in the 19th. Left-winger Kevon Neaves, sent clear by defensive midfielder Devon Maxwell in the 26th, had his powerful drive blocked by Smith. Crooks got his name on the scoresheet with a low right-footer past Smith, after a long-ball from Keegan Mills. But Crooks and Calderon squandered numerous chances in the second half, but Calderon would eventually atone for his errors when he drilled a low right-footer home after the Guyanese defence failed to clear a freekick on the right from Terryl Elwin. A double-header will be contested at the Tunapuna venue from 6 pm today, with the Bajans meeting Guyana while hosts TT oppose Grenada two hours later.

Teams: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO -  Thorne Holder; Makan Hislop (captain), Karlon Murray, Ancil Farrier, Keegan Mills (Joel James 78th); Clevon George, Devon Maxwell, Kevon Neaves, Christopher Sam (Terryl Elwin 71st); Abiola Sandy (Kevin Crooks 15th), Shane Calderon.
GUYANA -  Fidel Smith; Derrol Dainty, Kelvin Smith, Carlos Monkhouse, Tichard Joseph; Alpha Sylvester, Jermaine Murray (Sherman Thomas 68th - later replaced by Colin Clarke 88th), Shavane Seaforth, Carlos Grant (Edison Gomes 53rd); Konata Mannings (captain), Dwight Peters.