“A good exercise”.
That is how the Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 Men’s football team head coach Brian Haynes described his team’s 3-2 win over their Jamaican counterparts in an international friendly at the UTT’s O’Meara Campus in Arima, yesterday.
It was the first outing for the team under the new coach, who was appointed in November last year.
The game, which was originally scheduled to be played at the Police Barracks in St James, was shifted to Arima and was the first of two friendly games between the two countries, which will form part of T&T’s preparations for next month’s CONCACAF Under-20 qualifiers.
T&T have been drawn in Group D alongside Canada, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines for the tournament.
Yesterday, Lindell Sween opened the scoring for the hosts in the 13th minute, while Levi Jones doubled the lead in the 20th.
Jamaica pulled a goal back just before the intermission, with Jahmani Bell’s 40th minute item keeping the game interesting with T&T leading 2-1 at half-time.
But Michael Chaves converted a penalty to restore T&T’s two-goal cushion in the 58th minute.
But Jamaica kept up their intensity to the end, with Dunsting Cohen scoring in the 81st to make it 3-2. The visitors had other opportunities to level the scores towards the end but the hosts held on for the win.
“As far as I am concerned the exercise was good. Nobody was hurt, thank God, and the main group, the group that started the game, did what we wanted them to do and I thought the guys that came in did a good job as well,” said Haynes.
“I will commend the Jamaican team for coming out and giving us a good game because this is what we needed and this is what they needed and hopefully this propels us to keep playing at the level I know we can,” the T&T coach continued.
“I still think there are things we need to work on but for right now I’m really happy with the result by our boys,” he added.
TEAMS
Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 22.Tor Fletcher (GK) (21.Makaya Taylor [GK] 73'); 2.Lyshaun Morris (14.Jordan Ferdinand 63'), 5.Russel Francois (13.Joshua Figaro 82'), 4.Akil Henry (12.Jaden Williams 82'), 3.Duhrell Young (15.Jeremiah Niles 73'); 8.Abayomi George (16.Tau Lamsee 70'), 6.Levi Jones (captain) (17.Josiah Ochoa 63'); 7.Jlon Matthews (17.Jabari Forbes 73'), 10.Lindell Sween (18.Aidan De Gannes 46'), 11.Malachi Webb (23.Nathan Quashie 82'); 9.Michael Chaves (20.Aidan Ward 73').
Unused substitute: 1.Tyrese Romain (GK).
Coach: Brian Haynes
Jamaica (4-3-3): 1.Joshua Grant (GK); 2.Malachi Molina, 4.Michael Forbes, 3.Kyron Horsley McKay, 5.Rolando Barrett; 6.Denzel McKenzie, 8.Kobi Thomas (captain), 10.Brian Burkett; 7.Jahmani Bell, 9.Tarik Scott, 11.Malachi Grant.
Substitutes: 13.Taywane Lynch (GK), 23.D’Jone Davis (GK), 14.Keyanni Jackson, 12.Christopher Ainsworth, 15.Adrian Reid, 17.Omario Henry, 18.Romarion Thomas, 19.Tyrese Gowe, 20.Nickoy Gayle, 21.Dunsting Cohen, 22.Demarion Harris.
Coach: John Wall
SOURCE: T&T Express