Grenada overcame the setback of a delayed flight to lead an insipid Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 with a few minutes remaining, but the home team rallied to ensure a 2-2 draw last evening, in their friendly football international at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

Shandon Baptiste netted in the 48th minute and another midfielder Ricky Modeste got his name on the scoresheet in the 71st as the Anthony Modeste-coached outfit had a deserved cushion.

But substitute striker Jamille Boatswain trimmed the deficit in the 87th before midfielder Kevin Molino, in his first match as skipper, notched the equaliser in stoppage time.

Teenaged winger Kathon St Hillaire was handed his first international cap by T&T coach Dennis Lawrence but the St Ann’s Rangers player, like most of his teammates, made no favourable impression in the first half.

Too often, passes back to the defenders and goalkeeper Adrian Foncette seemed to be the preferred option by the home team against a team ranked 157th in the world and who only arrived at 3.20 pm which forced the kick-off time to be shifted from 6 pm to 7.30 pm.

One of the many giveaways in the back nearly resulted in a goal for Grenada, in the 18th minute.

Striker Kairo Mitchell, with loads of space outside the penalty box, turned and struck a low right-footer which missed the target by a couple of metres.

The closest T&T came to scoring was in the 27th as another teenaged winger, Levi Garcia, played a ball to overlapping left-back Kevon Villaroel. The defender shrugged off a challenge before forcing a good save from Grenada skipper and goalie Jason Belfon, with Molino’s follow-up blocked by the defenders.

Six minutes before the half-time whistle, midfielder Alexander McQueen pounced on a loose ball, and fired a right-footed shot which sailed inches over the crossbar.

Four minutes into the second half, Grenada broke the deadlock and the TT defence had only themselves to blame.

Molino lost possession and Shavon John-Brown, on the run, found Mitchell whose shot was saved by Foncette but Baptiste rifled home the rebound, to the top left-hand corner of the net.

T&T awoke from their slumber and came close on a few occasions, through Garcia, Molino and Roach, while John-Brown missed two opportunities to extend Grenada’s lead.

However, the visitors duly got their second, when Ricky Modeste met Baptiste’s corner and flicked his right-footed shot to the right of a leaping Foncette.

T&T dug deep to guarantee that the estimated 2,000 fans at the venue had something to remember, as Boatswain ran on to a through ball from centre-back Curtis Gonzales and angled his shot past the outstretched right hand of Belfon while Molino, two minutes into added-on time, took a ball from Gonzales, turned and shot a left-footer beyond Belfon’s reach.

The Guyanese football team was also in attendance, and they will be preparing to tackle the hosts, at the Ato Boldon Stadium, in Tuesday’s friendly international.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Adrian Foncette; Curtis Gonzales, Triston Hodge, Kevon Villaroel, Alvin Jones (Jamille Boatswain 77th); Kevan George, Jared London (Nathan Lewis 71st), Levi Garcia, Kathon St Hillaire, Kevin Molino (capt); Akeem Roach (Ricardo John 83rd).

GRENADA: Jason Belfon (capt); Alec Andell, Irvin Smith, Leaon St John, Ethan Ravalier; Kennedy Hinkson (Rickson Phillip 67th), Ricky Modeste (Rickey Sayers 82nd), Alexander McQueen (Kwazim Theodore 63rd), Shandon Baptiste; Kairo Mitchell (Saydrel Lewis 76th), Shavon John-Brown.

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Molino spares T&T blushes; Soca Warriors claw back to hold Grenada 2-2
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868)

The Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team began life after the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in unconvincing fashion at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva tonight as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with Grenada.

It might easily have been worse too, as the “Spice Islanders” were leading 2-0 when fourth official Cecile Hinds signalled four minutes of stoppage time. Somehow, the Soca Warriors engineered a late recovery with substitute Jamille Boatswain and stand-in captain Kevin Molino grabbing the vital goals.

It was some climbdown for the Warriors who stunned the United States and CONCACAF on their last outing here—on 10 October—with a 2-1 win that eliminated the North Americans for the first time in three decades.

Grenada are ranked 165th in the world and, last month, they were crushed 5-0 by a Panama ‘B’ team consisting mainly of home-based players. Tonight, they almost missed the fixture altogether as the starting time of the game had to be deferred to accommodate the delay in the arrival of their flight—reportedly as a result of an industrial relations issue at LIAT.

The Grenada squad essentially headed straight from Piarco to the Ato Boldon Stadium with barely 30 minutes to shake off the effects of an entire day spent at the airport. Yet, it was the visitors who struck first tonight.

Grenada forward Kairo Mitchell won space in the opposing penalty area and his crisp drive was fended away by Trinidad and Tobago custodian Adrian Foncette but straight into the path of midfielder Shandon Baptiste, who opened the scoring.

The 20-year-old Mitchell, who led the line admirably, is a former Leicester City youth player—although he is unattached now—while Baptiste, 19, plays in England for third-tier team Oxford FC.

It got worse for the Warriors in the 71st minute as Ricky Modeste, a semi-professional player in England with Billericay FC, doubled Grenada’s advantage with a flicked finish off a Baptiste corner.

By then, another familiar face, Trinidad-born San Juan Jabloteh utility player Kennedy Hinkson, had been substituted after playing 67 minutes in central midfield.

It might be an understatement to say that Grenada coach Ashley Folkes spread his net far and wide in selecting his 18-man squad, which was a combination of lower league professionals, semi-pros and a few university students.

The Warriors bossed ball possession for much of the night without creating too many problems for Grenada and W Connection goalkeeper Jason Belfon. And Netherlands top-flight winger Levi Garcia faded badly after an encouraging opening half-hour.

“Allyuh see why the stadium empty?!” a frustrated fan shouted, at nobody in particular. “Allyuh see why?!”

There were about 2,000 patrons in attendance although at least a quarter of those had come to support the Spice Men.

Both coaches had turned to their bench by then and Trinidad and Tobago head coach Dennis Lawrence got more joy from his changes.

Central defender Curtis Gonzales won possession near the centre circle and immediately played it into the channel for Boatswain, his former Defence Force colleague, to chase. Boatswain’s finish was wonderful, as he allowed the ball to run before arrowing an angled effort—first time—into the far corner.

The clock showed 88 minutes.

The local fans roared their approval—a retort aimed at the increasingly feisty Grenadian contingent in the covered stands. And, two minutes into stoppage time, Molino gained parity for the hosts as he controlled another perceptive long pass from Gonzales before burying past Belfon for the equaliser.

Grenada players slumped to the ground in disappointment at the final whistle and some buried their heads in their jerseys.

Lawrence promised to make Trinidad and Tobago champions of the Caribbean again; on this evidence, they certainly aren’t taking the shortcut.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 22.Adrian Foncette; 17.Alvin Jones (20.Jamille Boatswain 77th), 13.Curtis Gonzales, 18.Triston Hodge, 3.Kevon Villaroel; 19.Kevan George, 26.Jared London (7.Nathan Lewis 71st); 12.Kathon St Hillaire, 10.Kevin Molino (capt), 16.Levi Garcia; 9.Akeem Roach (15.Ricardo John 84th).

Unused substitutes: 1.Marvin Phillip (GK), 21.Glenroy Samuel (GK); 2.Aubrey David, 6.Josiah Trimmingham, 8.Neveal Hackshaw, 11.Neil Benjamin Jr, 14.Hashim Arcia, 23.Nathaniel Garcia.

Coach: Dennis Lawrence

Grenada (4-4-2): 1.Jason Belfon (capt); 18.Ethan Francois-Ravalier, 16.Alec Andall, 15.Irvin Smith, 4.Leaon St John; 17.Alexander McQueen (19.Kwazim Theodore 63rd), 3.Kennedy Hinkson (7.Rickson Phillip 67th), 6.Shandon Baptiste, 20.Ricky Modeste (13.Rickey Sayers 82nd); 11.Kairo Mitchell (10.Saydrel Lewis 76th), 21.Shavon John-Brown (9.Marcio McQueen 91st).

Unused substitutes: 22.Shemel Louison (GK), 5.Kemron Marshall, 8.Chad Mark, 14.Tahj Joseph.

Coach: Ashley Folkes