Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Tuesday | November 11, 2008
Home : Sport
Reggae Boyz survive cayman challenge

( L - R ) Dean, Cummings

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands:

The Reggae Boyz recorded their second successive victory on the Cayman Islands tour on Sunday, with a 2-0 win over a combative Cayman Islands national team. Sunday's win followed a 6-1 whipping of a Cayman Islands All-Stars team last Wednesday.

Powering the Reggae Boyz to victory were strikes by Omar Cummings, his first for Jamaica in the 42nd minute and substitute Roland Dean in the 58th.

The visitors had a much tougher time on Sunday than they did last Wednesday as they came up against a very organised Cayman Islands team.

Close attention

Head coach Carl Brown crowded the midfield and restricted the mobility of the Reggae Boyz, who got very little space and time on the ball. The visitors were also greeted with some physical play, and midfielders Rodolph Austin and Denzil Watson, in particular, came in for some rough treatment.

Despite the close attention paid to them, the Boyz managed to shrug off the stranglehold from time to time.

Their first real effort at goal came in the fourth minute when Austin burst through the midfield and drove a solid right-footer just wide of the mark.

Omar Cummings showed his predatory nature two minutes later when he sneaked in behind the defence and lobbed goalkeeper Jermaine Brown, only to see the ball strike the right upright and rebound into play for the defence to clear.

Jamaica continued to push forward and the little right wingback, Eric Vernan, crossed inside the 18-yard box for Hue. With the ball coming to his right foot, Hue delayed before back-heeling for Ricardo Cousins, who muffed his shot.

The Caymanians continued to defend stoutly as they used strong challenges, with Horace Nelson in particular, to keep the Jamaicans at bay.

Jermaine Taylor, casting aside his defensive responsibilities, showing good ball skills, ventured down the left flank and crossed inside for Cousins who acrobatically volleyed just high.

That gave the largely Jamaican crowd much pleasure. The voices of the Jamaican supporters would drown out all others soon after as Cummings opened the scoring.

The goal resulted from a lovely move deep inside the Jamaican half with central defender Evan Taylor feeding Austin, who had drifted into defence.

Austin, in turn, found Cousins in the centre of midfield. Cousins' raking pass down the right found Vernan, who bolted forward and crossed perfectly for Cummings to head home.

The second half saw both teams ringing the changes without much success until Dean received a defence-splitting pass and managed to finish clinically.

The complexion of the game could have changed as Calvin Jefford had an opportunity to equalise within the first five minutes of the resumption. However, he was unable to take it.

Home | Lead Stories | News | Business | Sport | Commentary | Letters | Entertainment |