Trinidad & Tobago overcame a tight St Kitts-Nevis defence, before coming away 6-0 winners of their Caribbean Youth Cup Group E match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday night.
Even in defeat, the St Kitts-Nevis team looked better than in their opening 11-0 win over minnows Anguilla and only capitulated in the second half. Having taken control from early in the match, T&T pressure took its toll in the 51st minute when the St Kitts Nevis defence finally cracked for the first time and substitute midfielder Stephen Knox headed a free-kick into the top of the St Kitts-Nevis net.
Once again, the home team looked well in control. Sean de Silva controlled the play with intelligent passes, while Brenton Balbosa constantly broke up the St Kitts-Nevis play in midfield. At the back, Ryan O'Neil looked an exceptional player and was ably assisted by the other stopper, Robert Primus in disrupting all the attacks down the centre.
St Kitts-Nevis could do very little in attack, but defended well enough to hold T&T goalless at the half. Judal Matthew, the Kitts-Nevis keeper, comfortably kept out shots from T&T's Chad de Freitas and Daneil Cyrus and also got some help from his opponents as well. Twice Trinidad and Tobago's Leston Paul looked certain to score when on the end of a good play, but failed to finish the move at the far post. But Paul, more than made up for his misses in the second half.
While T&T were still struggling to break down the St Kitts defence, coach Ken Elie seemed to have seen enough and started making changes on the half hour. Having already rested Brandon Rupert, who scored a double in the opening game, Elie also took off Cyrus, the other two-goal scorer in the opening 4-0 victory over the Netherlands Antilles.
Franz Husbands, has looked the most accomplished player with the ball at his feet, but has struggled to make proper decisions with the ball. He too was pulled off early. But Elie's changes worked as both Knox and Rivers scored after coming on.
Twelve minutes after Trinidad and Tobago got their first goal, substitute Daniel Joseph dropped a beautiful pass to Paul, who after one touch, drilled a powerful shot up into the St Kitts-Nevis net, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
The game was over as a contest in the 67th minute when Knox shrugged off a tackle and hit a well-placed shot into the net. Chad de Freitas had been very unlucky not to have a few goals in both matches for T&T but he scored the best goal of the night in the 72nd, when breaking through the penalty area on the right, and hitting a bullet across goal and into the far corner of the net.
Keeper Juliani Archibald had been on the field as a substitute for Matthew just a minute before being beaten by de Freitas' bullet. He did a good job of foiling T&T for a while, but two minutes from time conceded another when Mark Rivers side-footed the ball into the St Kitts goal.
De Freitas had earlier struck the post and also had a few shots saved by Archibald. But finally, when put through on the St Kitts-Nevis defence, he rounded Archibald and took no chances by walking the ball into the net.
T&T:
22-Jesse Fullerton (capt); 4-Robert Primus, 2-Sheldon Bateau (13-Jean Luc Rochford 79th), 6-Brenton Balbosa, 5-Ryan O'Neil, 3-Andell Noray (8-Stephan Chang 57th), 7-Sean De Silva (16-Mark Rivers), 10-Chad De Freitas, 12-Franz Husbands (15-Daniel Joseph 31st), 11-Daneil Cyrus (Stephen knox 31st).
Subs Not Used:
21 -Terrence Ramsaroop (Goalkeeper).