Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic Under 23 footballers put on a strong second half showing to defeat Guyana’s senior national team 3-1 in a warm-up affair at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on Thursday evening.
Goals by striker Jamal Gay (49th minute), Trevin Caesar (61st) and substitute Bradley Welch (77th) left T&T on winners end after they fell behind to a Walter Moore penalty in the 22nd minute.
The goals flowed for T&T after they shifted gears following the half-time interval as the visitors enjoyed the better of the first half as they applied high pressure on the Angus Eve-coached outfit. But Eve eventually got it right as his men lifted their game and capitalized on a leg weary Guyanese team in the second half.
Tobago-born Trevin Caesar had T&T’s first notable look at goal in the 16th minute when he fired wide of the right post following a run into the box on the right side.
Moments before Moore converted from the spot, Kester Jacobs fired inches over bar as the Guyana team tried to throw T&T off with hard pressing and aggression in the early moments.
Caesar would manage another opportunity near the half hour mark after being sent through on the right once again, he was off target, hitting straight at goalkeeper Ronson Williams.
Eve gave Zane Coker an opportunity in goal while Sporting Kansas defender Daneil Cyrus made his first start since returning from a serious injury which sidelined him for almost all of last year.
He was understandably lacking match fitness and sharpness. Regulars Kareem Moses, Joevin Jones, Mekeil Williams and Sean De Silva were also missing from the line up but still skipper Sheldon Bateau and company managed to keep Guyana at bay aside from the penalty.
Guyana were without all of their UK-based pros as Shabazz used the opportunity to try out some of his local-based “Jaguars”.
The T&T coach introduced W Connection’s Andre Quashie and Jomal Williams at the expense of Marcus Joseph and Micah Lewis at the start of the second forty-five. And from the word go, T&T seemed intent on taking the game to their Caribbean counterparts who ended their 2014 World Cup hopes last year.
Gay showed good goalscorer’s instinct with a neat tuck home from close range following a goalmouth scrimmage and shortly after narrowly missed out on connecting to a high ball from the right.
Gay would have enjoyed the goalscoring moment particularly after his Caledonia AIA coach teased him by telling the Guyana players “the number 9 not all that good” as the teams lined up for the national anthems.
Caesar was not to be out done in front of his Tobago home fans as he left Guyana trailing with a clinical finish that triggered even more enterprising play from T&T for the remaining thirty minutes.
He collected from substitute Jean Luc Rochford, lifted his head after a couple touches and unleashed a scorcher past a hapless Williams to put T&T 2-1 up.
A minute later the nippy Caesar found himself in a one on one with Williams but the ‘keeper was off his line in a flash to avert danger.
T&T gained control and the Guyanese were not liking it. Referee Neil Brizan had to step in and stop what could easily have led to an exchange of fists near the half line. Fortunately the game didn’t turn dirty and T&T maintained their poise to complete a polished second half showing.
Welch kept Eve’s attention with a well-executed right footer from 20 yards out that also left Williams with nothing to do other than retrieve the ball from the net.
The display was another promising one for Eve’s unit and certainly a good sight for local football eyes who had been desperate for some positive on-pitch action away from the court rooms over the past week or more.
T&T assistant coach Derek King was asked by Eve to deliver the post-match comments and he indicated that the team was switched around for the first half.
“In the first half we used the opportunity to look at the players and we changed the system a bit and then we changed it again in the second half, also bringing on a couple new players,” King told TTFF Media.
“We have some players that we still have to look at in the US and we are still trying to finalize the squad. We are also looking to options available regarding our systems of play.
We’re focusing on game-like situations and trying to ensure we select the best twenty players for the tournament,” King added.
Shabazz meantime credited T&T for a good second half comeback.
“I thought Trinidad and Tobago struggled a bit against high pressure in the first 45 minutes but credit to them in the second half in that they kept their nerves and came back at us very aggressively and very skillfully also.
This is a good sign with them showing strong character and good intensity. I was very happy with what I saw of Trinidad and Tobago in the second half,” Shabazz said.
Teams
T&T: - Zane Coker, Daneil Cyrus (Ziko Denoon 79th), Sheldon Bateau, Jayson Joseph, Aquil Selby, Nuru Mohammed (Jean-Luc Rochford 46th), Micah Lewis (Andre Quashie 46th), Jeromie Williams (Cameron Roget 71st), Jamal Gay (Bradley Welch 65th), Marcus Joseph (Jomal Williams 46th), Trevin Caesar.
Guyana start team: Ronson Williams, Jarmane Grandison, Walter Moore, Colin Nelson, Kester Jacobs, Devon Millington, Andrew Murray, Trayon Bobb, Anthony Benfield, Konata Mannings, Anthony Abrams.