TT and Guyana women win big in Cup qualifiers

Trinidad and Tobago got a hat-trick from make-shift striker Arin King as they spanked Barbados 5-0 while Guyana recorded the tournament’s largest margin of victory, an 8-0 hammering of St Lucia, in the earlier game on Wednesday.

King, who played in her regular position as centre-back in Monday’s 6-1 victory against St Lucia, was one of the few changes to the Trinidad and Tobago formation, partnering captain Maylee Attin-Johnson in attack as striker Candace Edwards, left-back Danielle Blair and goalkeeper Keri Myers were dropped.

And the Canadian-born King opened the scoring in the fifth minute, capitalising on sloppy defending to drill her left-footer against the left-post and over the goal-line. She doubled her tally in the 11th, banging home her right-footed shot after the Barbados defence meekly cleared a ball from the right by Ahkeela Mollon.

Attin-Johnson was clearly troubled by a bothersome right knee while midfielder Janine Francois had to be taken off before the half due to illness, but her replacement Avanell Isaac (battling a toe injury) added greater impetus to the attack.

In fact, after the match went to a lull, Isaac did well to send a goal-bound pass to Attin-Johnson, but the striker’s first touch was bad and goalkeeper Kamillah Burke averted any danger.

Two minutes later (42nd), Attin-Johnson’s misfortune was compounded when she injured her left knee, following a collision with Burke, and she was replaced at the half by Mariah Shade.

Three minutes into the second half, Shade, the national youth team captain, made a mess of Kennya Cordner’s wonderful lay-off from Mollon’s diagonal ball, but King was on hand to hit her shot past Burke to complete her hat-trick.

Isaac did well to spot an unmarked Cordner on the left, but the winger saw her left-footed shot crash off the post, while King failed to pounce on the rebound.

Referee Cardella Samuels gave Barbados a lifeline in the 66th minute, with a debatable penalty, after goalie Kimika Forbes challenged Ailsa Walcott for a ball at the edge of the box.

But forward Tianna Hackett hammered her spot-kick overbar, and that ended any faint hope Barbados had of reducing the deficit.

In the 71st, Cordner got a neat pass from King but her shot was cleared off the line by Tonia Jordan. Seconds later, King swung a corner from the left which deflected off Soraya Toppin-Herbert and trickled into the back of the net.

And Cordner, who was later taken to hospital for a back ailment, finished off the scoring in stoppage time, with a right-footed blast to the roof of the net after a good move involving Rhea Belgrave, Shade and Mollon.

In the Guyana-St Lucia encounter, Alison Heydorn notched a hat-trick (15th, 59th and 64th), while captain Ashley Rodrigues added a pair (11th and 54th). Mariam El-Masri (10th), Daria Owen (47th) and Justine Rodriques (63rd) chipped in with one apiece for Guyana, who moved atop the group by virtue of a better goal-difference to Trinidad and Tobago.

Action in Group “F” ends today, at Macoya, with Barbados meeting St Lucia at 4 pm and, two hours, the top-of-the-table duel between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.

Teams –

ST LUCIA: Cantel John; Vincentia Reid, Ellaisa Morquis, Jamilla Henry, Shirmain Hyacinth (capt), Fayella Joseph (Megesh Savery 60th); Jovette Wilson, Diane Jean (Elizabeth Joseph 30th), Verdan Frederick; Kwanzaa Prescod (Zanique Celestin 70th), Joanne Alphonse.

GUYANA: Tenyka Francique; Briana De Souza, Daria Owen, Collette Hope, Nikkita Persaud; Jordanna Phillips, Justine Rodriques (Donna Carvalhal 67th), Alison Heydorn, Ashley Rodrigues (capt), Ashlee Savona (Catherine Kobelka 59th); Mariam El-Masri (Olivia Gonsalves 25th).

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Kimika Forbes; Ayana Russell, Anastacia Prescott (Candace Edwards 71st), Afiyah Matthias, Rhea Belgrave; Nadia James, Kennya Cordner, Ahkeela Mollon, Janine Francois (Avanell Isaac 37th); Arin King, Maylee Attin-Johnson (capt) (Mariah Shade 46th).

BARBADOS: Kamillah Burke (capt); Tonia Jordan, Shonna Evelyn, Shannon Gibson, Kerry Bascombe (Melissa Rocheford 63rd); Soraya Toppin-Herbert, Shanice Stevenson, Kerry Trotman (Alisa Walcot 55th), Shawntelle Clarke (Gabriella Lopez 42nd); Cosette Brathwaite, Tianna Hackett.