NOT even the inclusion of Trinidad and Tobago's famed soccer player Dwight Yorke could motivate the senior team to what coach Bertille St Clair and experienced national team campaigner Anthony Rougier both deemed in the preview to yesterday's match was a much-needed win.
With less than a month to go before the begin their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign, the Soca Warriors' search for a "confidence booster" came up woefully short as a spirited Northern Ireland easily emerged victorious with 3-0 scoreline.
A sell-out crowd of 7,500 patrons at the venue named after the island's most revered athlete-the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago-saw David Healy score two goals and Healy himself set up Stuart Elliot for the other as T&T were outplayed.
Healy got the visitors off to a stunning start after five minutes when he caught goal-keeper Clayton Ince and the T&T defence napping. Fallen from an illegal tackle, Healy quickly got up before chipping over Ince from 35 metres out on the left flank. 1-0.
The local squad never recovered as the visitors dominated the attacking play with their forays down both flanks and created unease for the Trinbgao ball handlers with their high-pressure defence.
And with T&T's best chance went begging-Stern John's in the six-yard box denied by Northern Ireland goal-keeper Maik Taylor in the 39th minute-Healy turned provider leaving T&T defender Ian Cox for dead on the right before whipping into the centre of the 18-metre box for teammate Stuart Elliot to blast home . 2-0
Yorke, who was seated in the stands as opposed to the substitute's bench for the first half, then made his appearance after the interval. But he could not inspire or engineer a T&T goal. Healy then made certain of the visitors' victory with a goal in 66t, the result of a headed-on corner that found him unmarked at the right of the T&T six-yard box. He powered home an unstoppable drive to close out the scoring in the match.
THE TEAMS:
T&T -Clayton Ince, Angus Eve, Brent Sancho (Keyeno Thomas 45), Ian Cox, Anthony Rougier (Darryl Roberrts 76), Marvin Andrews, Andre Boucard (Hayden Fitzwilliams 68), Kerwyn Jemmott (Densil Theobald 83), Stokely Mason (Dwight Yorke 45), Carlos Edwards, Stern John
N/Ireland-Maik Taylor (Alan Manns 83), Chris Baird, Tony Capaldi, Stephen Craigan (Steve Jones 45), Mark Williams, Stuart Elliot (Mark Williams 45)), Damien Johnson (Keith Gillespie 72), Phillip Mulryne (Danny Sonner 72), Jeff Whitley, David Healy (Paul Mc Veigh 66), James Quinn (Andrew Smith 61).