2 months ago
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A LATE penalty from defender Richard King proved pivotal as the Reggae Boyz clipped Trinidad and Tobago 3-2 yesterday in the opening game of the Unity Cup at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford.
Jamaica needed a last-minute winner as goals from Kasey Palmer (25th minute), Rumarn Burrell (53rd) were cancelled out by Isaiah Leacock’s 54th-minute effort and Kevin Molino’s strike in the 69th.
Trinidadian hopes were, however, extinguished in the final moments of the match through King’s spot in the 92nd minute.
The win was Jamaica’s second over Trinidad this year and extends their unbeaten run against their Caribbean rivals to six games.
Jamaica started the better of the two teams and had controlled much of the proceedings in the opening 45 minutes of the game.
The wing pairing of Kaheim Dixon and Renaldo Cephas proved a nuisance to the Trinidadian backline, with the former earning the first real opportunity of the game in the opening 10 minutes.
The wily winger combined well with Burrell inside the box with interchanging passes but his final effort was dragged wide.
Cephas would find some purchase with his efforts soon after as he drove at goal in the 25th minute before being brought down in the box, winning a penalty.
Palmer would expertly step up to the spot, finishing confidently with a panenka that beat the outstretched legs of Trinidadian custodian Marvin Phillip.
The Boyz started the second half much like the first, taking charge of the game, and were rewarded with an early goal, this time through debutant Burrell.
The striker showed good instincts to acrobatically execute a bicycle kick after Phillip had parried a Palmer effort.
Jamaica’s celebrations were halted immediately, however, as, straight from the kick-off, Trinidad pulled one back.
Molino, the ever-reliable playmaker, would find Leacock free in the Jamaican box and the debutant made no mistake, capping off his first appearance with a goal for the twin-island republic.
The goal breathed life into the Trinidadian squad as they immediately went searching for the equaliser.
Their efforts would pay off just past the hour mark when Molino, following a free kick that hit the post and rebounded off the legs of Jamaican custodian Shaquan Davis, headed home to bring his team level.
With the dread of penalties looming, Jamaica would find the winner with only seconds left on the clock.
Cephas’ pace would once again prove the undoing off the Trinidadian defence, the winger beating Phillip to a through ball and leaving the custodian no choice but to bring him down.
King, who recently scored a goal in Cavalier’s penalty win in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) final, stepped up and buried a thunderous penalty into the top bins.
The win means Jamaica have advanced to the final of the Unity Cup where they will face the winner of today’s meeting between Ghana and Nigeria.
The final is set to be played on Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium.
English (US) ·