A Dwight Yorke All star XI went down 3-0 to a Tobago outfit in an after Carnival football friendly at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on Thursday. Yorke’s team included World Cricket batting record holder Brian Lara.
Also, former national players Stern John, Clint Marcelle, Cyd Gray and Ross Russell and Yorke’s international colleagues, his former Manchester United strike partner Andy Cole and Aston Villa’s Ugo Ehiogu were also a part of the line-up along with THA’s Assistant Secretary of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Huey Cadette and former Tobago United head coach Peter Granville.
The younger and fitter Tobago squad went ahead when Andel Noray found the back of the net in the 24th minute. Keon Boucher doubled the tally three minutes later to give Tobago a two nil lead at the break. Deon Thomas got third in the 63 minute.
Yorke and his teammates were outplayed in the first half with Lara taking an early exit. However, the batting maestro returned on the resumption and showed his football class with some nippy plays down the right flank much to the delight of the hundreds of spectators who were on hand cheering for him.
Though his side failed to score the fans were appreciative of their efforts. Speaking after the game Yorke said the aim of playing the match was to enable the young players in Tobago to be able see of the stars of the game.
“The idea is to get the young guys to see Andy Cole, even though it is at the end of his career. This means a lot to the up and coming stars in Tobago,” Yorke said. The Tobago-born standout player added that he hopes to get more top-notch professionals to come in the next couple of years. “Next year we are hoping to bring more stars like Allan Shearer, Patrick Vierra, Gian Franco Zola.”
Recently crowned Soca Power, Groovy and Road March champion Machel Montano was expected to line up with the Dwight Yorke XI but was unable to make the trip. In the first game, National Primary School Runners-up, Bon Accord Government came from a goal down to whip a Tobago Primary School XI 3-1.