Coach happy with Under-17s

Captain Moriah Shade and midfielder Karyn Forbes notched a pair of goals apiece, while Sharice Arthur and Elizabeth Ng Wai chipped in with one each for the local lasses.

“(I’m) overjoyed, in the sense of seeing the girls trying to do the things that we asked them to do, which is very important,” said Charles, who is also coach of the women’s senior team. “(They are) footballers who could really go to the next level when they understand what you ask of them.

“Tonight, I was very proud of the understanding that these girls take into this game,” he added.

Trinidad and Tobago’s dominance was most glaring in the midfield, where Forbes and Jennel Kisson, the tiniest member of the squad, never allowed their opponents to dictate terms at any point of the game.

“Jennel Kissoon, she was outstanding,” stated Charles. “And Karyn Forbes, who (came) into her own later in the game. I was real impressed with the whole team.”

Stressing that “the (preparation) work that we did, paid off tonight,” Charles is not allowing the team to rest on its laurels.

“There is a lot for us to work on,” he stated. “But, if you look at it, it was a good game of football (overall).

“There are things that we can sit down and look at, things which we could do better.”

Concerning the St Kitts/ Nevis outfit, he said, “They’re not a bad team.

“If you look at the two strikers that they have, it’s two good strikers,” he continued. “But we shut them down early and tried to make sure that they don’t play. We’re going to play our game and make sure that the next team don’t play,” Charles added.

Team captain Moriah Shade, who netted twice on the night, noted that she struggled to come to terms with the atmosphere but grew better as the game progressed.

“This is a very fast pitch and it was hard to get accustomed,” said the Debe High School student. “(In) the second half, (there was) the determination to try to (improve) and I did.” Shade was always in the thick of things, especially with the aerial ball, and she commented, “I’m just naturally talented with my head.”

Concerning the other two games, tonight against Grenada and Monday against St Kitts/Nevis, she expects, “(a) better performance and victory, all the way.”

Midfielder Karyn Forbes, who also got her name on the scoresheet twice, noted that, “since I’ve been playing (nationally), it has been a great experience for me.”

Forbes, the 2007 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Player of the Year (girls), has featured in the national team at the Under-20 and Under-23 level.

She also atoned for a missed penalty in the 41st minute with a successful conversion in the 81st.

Stating that the latter attempt boosted her confidence, she pointed out that the team will “need to perform at a higher level for the next game.