TT advance to ‘Digicel’ quarter-finals

TRINIDAD AND Tobago footballers shut out British Virgin Islands 2-0 in the second leg of the Digicel Caribbean Cup Second Round at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tunapuna, yesterday. Victory on a muddy surface, well below the standard for an international match, saw the TT lads prevailing 6-0 on aggregate and advancing to the quarter-final stage next month.

The first half saw little action in front of a buoyant crowd estimated at 2,000, but striker Nigel Pierre, who netted twice in the first leg last Sunday, put the hosts in front after 21 minutes. The mercurial striker saw his header from a right-side centre by Densil Theobald deflect off the body of defender Quaver Roach and trickle into the Islanders’ goal. Theobald missed a chance to put his name on the scoresheet when, in the 43rd, he collected a left-side cross from Marlon Rojas but, unmarked, he skied the ball overbar.

Defender Keyeno Thomas also squandered a goalscoring chance in the 48th when he tapped his right footer inches wide from a Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick corner. Striker Scott Sealy also failed to make use of his 56th minute opportunity, his shot saved by Jermaine Riley, but Sealy’s replacement Angus Eve found the back of the net in the 61st. Eve, who seems to thrive in the substitute’s role, expertedly volleyed a Fitzpatrick left-side floater from 10 metres out.

A one-two between Thomas and Conrad Smith in the 81st saw both hitting the uprights - Smith’s attempt onto the post was from an acute angle while Thomas smashed the rebound against the crossbar. In the 85th, Riley’s clearance was met by Eve but Fitzpatrick saw his header (from Eve’s right-side centre) headed away while Pierre’s rebound attempt was cleared off the line by Maxford Pipe. And two minutes later, Smith saw Riley tip his 20-metre blast overbar.

Teams: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Jan-Michael Williams; Derek King (capt), Keyeno Thomas, Anton Pierre, Marlon Rojas, Cyd Gray (Silvio Spann 76th); Densil Theobald, Leslie Fitzpatrick, Kerwyn Jemmott (Conrad Smith 67th); Scott Sealy (Angus Eve 59th), Nigel Pierre.
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Jermaine Riley; Quaver Roach (Dwayne Ross 80th), Maxford Pipe, Mervyn Danty, Ranalie Cain; Avondale Williams (capt) (Raul Ettienne 24th), Lionel Grimes, Rohan Lennon, Michael Haynes; Chesley Miller (Chevon Russell 61st), Venton James.