Devon Hodges - File

GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman

THE amount of rainfall was enough to have created a flooding, but the Reggae Boyz, led by Devon Hodges' hat-trick - poured more misery on a Cayman Islands All-Star team and had them gasping at a 5-0 deficit, before the match was eventually blown off after 70 minutes, at the T.E. McField Sports Complex in Grand Cayman last night.

There were constant flashes of lightning amid the heavy downpour, enough reason to eliminate risking the players in a low-keyed practice encounter for the Jamaicans, who are continuing their preparations for the CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals, that will kick-off in Los Angeles next Friday.

Hodges scored at the 20th, 59th and 65th minutes, while Ricardo Fuller (24th) and second half sub Keammar Daley (58th) netted the other goals.

The scoreline could have been much wider had the team converted most of its chances, but there wasn't much complaining.

"We played in patches tonight, I guess the weather and the pitch had a lot to do with it. But overall, it's a good performance from our team," said Jamaica's head coach, Theodore Whitmore.

"I think its a positive sign to play these type of games and get a lot of goals even though we could have scored a lot more," he added. "Credit must be given to the Cayman Islands goalkeeper, who made a lot of saves."

fought hard

The Cayman All-Star team fought hard, but they never possessed the quality to match the Reggae Boyz in attack or defence.

Most of the Caymanians" offensives were broken up in mid-pitch, as they struggled to put passes together and they were never a threat to the Jamaican defence throughout, even though they forced one save out of starting goalie, Duwayne Kerr, from a free kick hit from the arc at half-line, in the first half and they also got a good opportunity in the abbreviated second stanza.

Hodges tapped in a pass from Boyd at the 20th minute, followed by Fuller's goal four minutes later, when he flashed a powerful header downwards - off Bryan Bayliss' corner kick - that squeezed in at the base of the goalpost.

Jamaica's play was more measured and controlled in the second half, as they possessed the ball for longer periods and play with far more patience.

All those factors combined for a beautiful third goal, as the team moved the ball to all areas of the pitch inside its half while playing close to 50 passes, then scythed its way swiftly through the Cayman team when it grew impatient and ill-advisedly pressed high.

With no more than four quick passes through the flanks, the Jamaica team worked its way from the penalty box at its end to the one at the other end, where Vernan served a pass that was smashed into the goal by Daley.

deadly attack

Within a minute, the Jamaica team won possession and co-ordinated another deadly attack at pace, which saw goalkeeper James Joseph spill a shot from Oraine Simpson, who had replaced Vernan seconds earlier after the third goal at the 58th.

Hodges was on the doorstep to make the putback for a 4-0 lead.

The striker was on hand to close out a triple when he buried a header off Bayliss' cross, to tally his fourth goal in the last two matches.