brooklyn, new york, cmc
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS JAMAICA tightened their grip on the New York Caribbean Cup Zone 2 competition when they outscored St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) 3-1 on Sunday.
Irvino English pumped in two penalties and propelled the Jamaicans to their victory -- at the Floyd Bennett Field -- and to 12 points in the standings, seven clear of nearest rivals St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Jamaicans capitalised on poor defence in the first half of their duel with five-time champions SVG, registering all their goals before the break.
After only two minutes, English scored a penalty after a Greg John infraction.
LOW SHOT
Ten minutes later, Denzil Wilson beat Vincentian goalkeeper Erasmus Glasgow with a low shot to his right in recording Jamaica's second goal. And in the 18th minute, English scored his second penalty when Glasgow was called for fouling Denzel Watson.
The Vincentians lifted their game in the second half and scored in the 49th minute when Benford Joseph lashed a superb shot from outside the box that beat Jamaica's goalkeeper Maurice Evans.
"It was a good win, (although) it should have been a more coordinated effort, but a win is a win," Jamaican coach Norbert Radjpaul said after the game.
"We relaxed in the second half and began playing around," he added. The defeat leaves SVG bottom of the Zone 2 table on one point with St. Lucia.
CONFIDENT COACH
They have both played two matches. SVG's coach Stanley Morris was unhappy about the result but encouraged by his team's second-half play and expressed confidence about their prospects in the tournament.
"I did a better second half. I am very optimistic because we have St. Lucia, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago to play. "We are definitely going to make the play-offs," he added.
Trinidad and Tobago are in third position on three points from similar matches, and Haiti, who drew 1-1 in an earlier match on Sunday against St Lucia, are in fourth place on two points from three matches.
In Zone I, the Dominican Republic stayed top of the standings after trouncing Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 on Sunday. They have 10 points from four matches.
Barbados are in second place on five points from three matches, ahead of Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana.
In the next round of matches on Sunday, St. Lucia oppose Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados challenge Guyana, and Dominica play Grenada.
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