Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey’s early first-half goal proved enough to earn Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz a share of the points in a 1-1 draw with Mexico here Tuesday night and a place in next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The 24-year-old struck in the fourth minute to hand the hosts the early lead in the Group A contest of League A at the National Stadium before Luis Romo equalized in the first-half stoppage.
Major League Soccer standout goalkeeper Andre Blake made a string of top saves to preserve the scoreline as Jamaica climbed to the top of the group on five points while remaining unbeaten in three outings.
The Reggae Boyz was also left to rue several missed chances, however, as Shamar Nicholson twice came close while Bailey came within inches of adding a second goal.
“It was a tough opponent,” Bailey told reporters.
“Everybody knows Mexico but to be able to create so much opportunities against Mexico and getting a point out of this game which we should’ve won, it shows we have a far way to go but we’re doing well moving forward as a team.
“This is what we need going forward and we’ll continue to build on this.”
Jamaica found the back of the net with their first real attack of the game. Nicholson raced down the left flank and whipped a cross into the box where Bailey spit defenders Jesus Gallardo and Jesus Alberto Angulo to send a powerful header past goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota.
The hosts should have doubled their lead in the ninth minute when Junior Flemmings’ corner found Nicholson in the box but the Spartak Moscow forward could only find the crossbar with his leaping header.
Bailey came close to his second goal, driving down the right and cutting inside before sending a curling left-footed shot inches around the far post from 15 yards.
The Reggae Boyz was left cursing their missed opportunities when Mexico drew level with the final kick of the half, Luis Chavez floating a spot-kick into the area for Romo to out-muscle Damion Lowe and beat Blake diving to his right.
Full-back Kevin Alvarez then cleared Nicholson’s chip off the line in the 51st minute to spare Mexico further blushes and Blake played his part in ensuring Jamaica did not slip up.
At the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Guyana suffered a second straight six-goal thrashing at the hands of Haiti when they went down 6-0 in Group B of League B.
Fresh off a 6-2 drubbing in Georgetown last week, Guyana was once again put to the sword by the French Caribbean side through Mondy Prunier (48th, 76th) and Carnejy Antoine (87’th, 89th) before lashing in second-half braces.
Alex Christian gave Haiti a 39th-minute lead when he smashed home a rebound after Derrick Etienne’s free-kick had struck the bottom of the uprights, a scoreline that held until the break.
The floodgates opened thereafter, however, Prunier’s point-blank header at the far post doubled Haiti’s advantage, and Simonsen Jeppe Friborg 63rd minute strike stretched the lead even further.
Prunier got his second from the top of the 18-yard box before Antoine scored twice in three minutes at the death.
Guyana remained second on six points, four adrift of unbeaten Haiti which has secured Gold Cup qualification and promotion to League A.
Also in Group B, French Guiana edged Belize 1-0 in Cayenne while in Group A of League C, Bonaire beat the US Virgin Islands 1-0 in Willemstad. The Turks and Caicos Islands defeated Sint Maarten by the same margin in Providenciales.
/CMC
