Western Bureau:

A Reggae Boyz XI, showing superior coordination and poise, easily brushed aside the Seba United Invitational team 3-1 in their exhibition game which was played at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay on Wednesday night. It was the feature game of a double-header sponsored by Ward Power Tools.

In a game in which coach Theodore Whitmore eased off the throttle by swopping established senior players for Under-23 players at regular intervals as the nationals threatened to wreak havoc after rushing to a brisk 3-0 lead behind goals from Navion Boyd (2) and Damion Hardwood, the Seba team rarely looked competitive.

Friendly

"It is also good to win but my objective was to look at the senior players who are under consideration for an upcoming friendly against South Africa and the Under-23s who also have an upcoming assignment," said Whitmore. "I am satisfied in terms of the objective that was set for this game."

Prior to the big game, a Western Masters team rolled back the clock much to the delight of the fans, scoring an exciting 4-2 win over their gutsy KSAFA counterparts. Former national players Devon Rickettes (2) and Kenneth Gaynor and former Seba United star Omar Clarke scored for the westerners while Wayne Wonder and Gary Francis were on target for KSAFA.

"It was the 'Battle of the Cities' of former years so we could not let down the west," said Garnet Denton, who had a good game for Western Masters.

In the feature game, the national team started like they were in a big hurry to create an early impression, running rings around the Seba team. It was no surprise when Boyd fired them into a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when he broke free before the goal and finished on target with a crisp shot.

Boyd was again on target in the 27th minute when he dribbled well through the middle and fired in a low shot to silence the home fans and give Jamaica a 2-0 lead.

With Seba struggling to come to grips with the pace of the Jamaica team, they fell further behind in the 35th minute. The wily Boyd slipped a neat pass into the path of Harwood and he made no mistake, slotting in easily to make the half-time score 3-0.

Scoresheet

With the constant changes by coach Whitmore resulting in almost a new team on the field for the second half, Seba began to look a more capable outfit with players such a Torey Samuels, Kemar James and Jason Rose holding their own.

Towards the end of the game, the Seba team finally got on the scoresheet when Nicholas Barnes found himself in the path of a rebound and he directed the ball back into the goal, making the final score 3-1.