‘Soca Warriors’ beaten but advance

ST VINCENT scored a shock 1-0 victory over  Trinidad and Tobago’s “Soca Warriors” at  Arnos Vale field in their second-leg Digicel Caribbean Cup qualifier yesterday. But despite their defeat the Soca Warriors still advance to the finals in Barbados next month, 3-2 on aggregate goals. The “Vincey Heat” got their goal from a 65th penalty by Matthew Forde following a dubious decision against defender Atiba Charles. The “Soca Warriors” missed a handful of chances before Jamaican referee Raymond Pine adjudged  Charles to have brought down Renson Haynes from behind.

Only a late decision saw the match being played at Arnos Vale, as up to Saturday night match commissioner Peter Jenkins of St Kitts/Nevis had not  made a decision whether the game would be played at the Richmond Hill School Ground. Officials of the St Vincent Football Association had indicated  it would be impossible to play at Arnos Vale because the turf wicket was under preparation. But it was later discovered that dimensions of the playing field at Richmond Hill would be below FIFA regulations. And it was not until 11 am yesterday “Soca Warriors” manager Richard Braithwaite was informed the game would go ahead at Arnos Vale.

Controversy continued over the dimensions on arrival at the venue, as Jenkins was unable to tell exactly what they were. All he told TT officials was “it is a normal field,” and later claimed  it was not necessary for such information to be given,  adding “all I can say is that it is a normal field.” However, it was later discovered  that the dimensions were in fact outside Law 1 of the game, which states the minimum length should be 100 metres and no less than  64 metres wide. Despite it all, the “Soca Warriors” should have been three goals ahead but Cornell Glen missed three gilt-edged chances. St Vincent skipper Ezra Hendrickson went close twice before the halt-time break.