Reggae Boyz, Soca Warriors share spoils in second friendly

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz and Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors played to a goalless result in the second of their two-game Friendly International series inside Kingston’s National Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Trinidad and Tobago had edged Jamaica 1-0 through a Reon Moore second-half strike in the first game inside the Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall in St James last Saturday evening.

Both teams made a number of changes from the first game in a genuine effort to make the contest a practice game, but it largely followed the pattern of the first game with Jamaica trying to impose itself in an attacking threat with Trinidad and Tobago content to play on the counter-attack.

Matthew Woo Ling curled a left-footer wide of Jahmali White’s far post on the half-hour mark, which gave the home side a scare.

However, Jamaica responded quickly and should have opened the scoring when Jamoi Topey picked out Demario Phillips, the diminutive midfielder, who ran beyond the Trinidadian defence line and into the penalty area.

The Mount Pleasant FA ace got the ball tangled beneath his legs and the chance went begging as the retreating defenders cleared their line.

In a phase of dominance, Jamaica’s Lamar Walker slipped in the ever-running Collin Anderson with a defence-splitting pass behind the defensive line, but the Cavalier front man failed to take the ball cleanly in his stride and Marvin Phillip advanced well to avert the danger.

Just shy of the interval, Anderson turned provider when he relayed a pass to teenager Dujuan Richards at the top of the penalty area, and the Kingston College schoolboy dropped his shoulders to evade a defender before driving into the penalty area to unleash a shot which was blocked at Phillip’s near post for a corner.

There was still time in the opening half for Anderson to spurn another chance by failing to control a ball over the top which had beaten the visitors’ backline.

Early in the second half, Jamaica had a decent chance to open the scoring on a counter-attack involving Walker and Phillips, who found Anderson inside the penalty area, but he watched in disbelief as a retreating defender put his body on the line to block his effort on goal.

For the rest of the game, it was more nip and tuck, though the visitors saw more counter-attacks opening up for them.

The twin-isle republic is down to face The Bahamas in Nassau on March 24 and Nicaragua three days later at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago, on March 27 in the Nations League, while Jamaica has an important visit to Mexico City to face the regional powerhouses on March 26 before hosting Guatemala on April 15.

Teams: Jamaica – Jahmali White (Kemar Foster 57^th), Ricardo Thomas, Adrian Mariappa (Richard King 46^th), Jamoi Topey, Dexter Lembikisa, Lamar Walker (Tyler Roberts 67^th), Demario Phillips, Jahshaun Anglin (Ravel Morrison 46^th), Dujuan Richards (Trivante Stewart 82^nd), Omari Hutchinson, Collin Anderson (Jourdain Fletcher 82^nd)

Booked: none

Subs not used: Asher Hutchinson, Alwayne Harvey, Dwayne Atkinson, Sue-Lae McCalla, Oshane Staple, Delano Splatt, Fitzroy Cummings

Trinidad and Tobago – Marvin Phillip, Josiah Trimmingham, Kareem Riley (Michael Poon Anderon 72^nd), Noah Powder (Justin Sadoo 72^nd), Kadeem Corbin (Quesi Weston 64^th), Jameel Neptune, Reon Moore, Alvin Jones, Justin Garvia, Matthew Woo Light (Joevin Jones 72^nd), Jonal Williams (64^th)

Booked: None

Subs not used: Jelani Felix, Andre Raymond, Nathaniel James, Jomoul Francis, John-Paul Lochfors, Kaile Auvray, Denzil Smith, Adrian Foncaffe, Jesse Williams

Referee: Victor Vergara (Panama)

Assistant Referee 1: Wasnah Barnarde (Antigua)

Assistant Referee 2: Clenton Daniel (Guyana)

Fourth Official: Ken Pennyfeather