TT advance in CFU U-17 football

TRINIDAD and Tobago Under-17 footballers kicked their way into the  second round of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-17 qualifiers with a comprehensive 6-2 triumph over Barbados in the final Group A first- round match. Victory at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacelot, Tobago, on Sunday night meant that the hosts were unbeaten in the round-robin phase, and will now face Cuba in a home-and-away tie in September. In the first match of the evening’s double-header, Bahamas earned their lone victory of the tournament, 5-3 over St Lucia with two goals apiece from Audley Kemp (34th and 46th) and Lesly St Fleur (58th and 75th) and another from captain Cameron Hepple (23rd). Caddius Emmanuel (29th and 71st) and Kendell Alphonse (85th) were on target for St Lucia, who were beaten in their three encounters.

After a number of missed opportunities, Trinidad and Tobago went ahead in the 26th through captain Javed Mohammed, who tapped in a left footer inside the six-yard box after receiving a right-side centre from striker Carlon Hughes. But the Barbadians capitalised on a defensive mix-up by the hosts to equalise 10 minutes later. After striker Mario Harte got past TT centre-back Khaleem Hyland on the right, sent a low cross to Lorenzo Joseph and, with the defence at sea, squared to a goal-bound Dwayne Mars who shot past the reach of goalkeeper Kareem Charles. Hyland, whose 40-metre drive in the 35th minute was parried wide by Bajan ’keeper Kevin Smith, restored TT’s lead in the 41st when he buried his penalty past Smith. Guyanese referee Stanley Lancaster pointed to the spot after defender Dario Jordan was adjudged to have handled the ball while under pressure from striker Lester Peltier.

Their lead would only last for two minutes — an over-balanced Charles failed to clear a long ball from Jermaine Caesar and Joseph was on hand to pounce home the loose ball. The hosts started the second half with a renewed sense of urgency, and reclaimed the lead in the 47th — exciting playmaker Shastri Spencer, following a one-two between himself and Hughes, drilled his right-footer against a Bajan defender but Hughes latched on to the loose ball and drove it past Smith. Silas Spann collected a weak Bajan clearance from his 65th minute corner and sent a low right-footer to the path of midfielder Michael Brown who slotted his left-footer past Smith while, one minute later, Peltier began and ended a move involving Hughes and Nyron Orr — Orr’s right-footer was blocked by Smith and Peltier tapped in the rebound.

And Mohammed got his second goal, and the team’s sixth, in the 71st. A long ball from defender Brendon Boucaud was squared onto the path of Peltier by Hughes. Peltier missed his back-heel attempt but the TT captain was lurking in the penalty box and drove the ball into the open net. TT head coach Nigel Grovesnor described the game as “nice” and added that “we expected it (to be) how it turned out.”  “We expected that, in the first half, it was going to be tough,” he noted.

Teams:
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Kareem Charles, Khaleem Hyland, Marvin James, Brendon Boucaud, Javed Mohammed (capt), (Kurt Williams 85th), Michael Brown, Nyron Orr, Silas Span (Jeromie Williams 84th), Shastri Spencer, Carlon Hughes (Kyle McIvor 74th), Lester Peltier.
BARBADOS: Kevin Smith, Robert Charles, Dario Jordan (John Yearwood 74th), Damar Evelyn (capt), Shane Downes, Jermaine Caesar, Lorenzo Joseph, Mario Johnson (Gian Cobham 60th), Ranaldo Marques, Mario Harte (Jamar Harewood 67th), Dwayne Mars.