Trinidad and Tobago’s Under 16 footballers booked their spot in the quarter finals of the Caribbean Football Union Under 16 Youth Cup with a determined 3-0 win over Guyana at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Friday.
Workmanlike performances from striker Stephen Knox and equally impressive midfielder Leston Paul ensured an easy enough victory for the "Young Warriors."
Along with Knox, right winger Daneil Cyrus and stand-in skipper Ryan O'Neil--who deputised for first string goalkeeper Jesse Fullerton who sat out the match--all found the net for T&T.
As in their two previous encounters in this group, the prolific Knox got the ball rolling in the 10th minute. The Guyana defence survived his first two attempts. But Knox would not be denied a third time. He held off his marker after collecting a through ball on the right, and rifled his shot past custodian Owen Williams from an acute angle for his seventh goal of the tournament.
Knox also had a promising one-two with Joseph in the 13th minute cut out. Two minutes later, Paul had his blast parried over by Williams.
Guyana's best chance of the match came on 42 minutes but Sherlone Edwards shot overbars in a one-on-one with T&T keeper Glenroy Samuel who was largely untroubled.
Cyrus doubled T&T's advantage though just six minutes after the re-start. Akeem Adams' cross was misjudged by Joseph but landed nicely for Cyrus who buried his left-foot shot past Williams for a 2-0 scoreline.
The Young Warriors though, were unable to make good on most of their threats after that because of several wayward passes. Williams also did well to keep out those that were on target. But just as the match seemed to be heading for a 2-0 T&T victory, O'Neil hammered home a low drive from about 25 metres out to cap off the comfortable win.
In the first match of the doubleheader, Aruba and Grenada played to a 1-1 draw. Allan Munro put Grenada ahead in the 43rd minute. Francois Croes secured a point for the Arubans with his 64th minute reply.
Line-Ups.
Trinidad & Tobago: - 22.Glenroy Samuel; 12.Robert Primus, 3.Ryan O’Neil (capt), 4.Sheldon Bateau (14.Jean Luc Rochford 66th), 7.Brenton Balbosa; 15.Chike Sullivan (8.Sean De Silva 46th), 5.Akeem Adams (16.Marcus Joseph 82nd), 20.Daneil Cyrus, 6.Leston Paul; 10.Stephen Knox, 11.Daniel Joseph.
Guyana: - Owen Williams; Alwyn Adams (capt), Giovanne Leitch, Elvin Foo (Jaison Cobena 22nd), Lumumba Hinds; Dwayne Blake, Bevon Moseley, Frank Crandon (Sylvester De Silva 68th), Kevin Beaton; Andrew Murray, Sherlone Edwards (Manasseh Primo 74th).