T&T Under- 17 Girls team finished off a tough night at the CONCACAF Caribbean qualifying tournament in Haiti with a 2-2 tie with Bermuda and a share of the points on Monday night at the Stade Silvio Cator in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
The Soca Princesses were twice made to come from behind against a battling Bermudan team which made it’s intentions clear, to be one of the qualifying teams from Group Two.
With most of the T&T players recovering from a bout of food poisoning, Bermuda went on the attack from the kick-off. Lei Lanni Nesbeth opened the scoring in the 21st minute beating the T&T custodian with a low drive at the near post.
T&T created a few half chances during the session but without luck as it closed off the half. However, on the 61st minute mark of the second stanza the team’s co-captain Sarah De Gannes levelled the scores with a rocket from outside the box that nestled into the top corner, but moments later Nesbeth gave her team the lead for a second time to set them on course for maximum points.
However, substitute Aaliyah Prince spoiled their plans, a minute from the end when she fought her way past three Bermudan defenders and placed a low shot into the corner of the goal to secure a share of the points.
After the final whistle the players were relieved to have earned a point. Goal scorer Aaliyah Prince said, ‘’It’s always a privilege to help my team and even though we wanted the win we are still happy to leave with a point. Now we have to put that game behind us and focus on Jamaica’’.
T&T coach Jamaal Shabazz was very realistic and said, “It is clear that we are a step or two behind the teams in this tournament. It is our ability to stay organised and show true grit and determination that kept us in the game. Where their legs ran out in this match they applied their hearts and we were able to get a point.”
The T&T girls will next face their Jamaican counterparts on Friday.