No prisoners

MOUNT PLEASANT Football Academy took a giant step towards qualifying for the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final with a decisive 5-1 first-leg, semi-final win over Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad yesterday.

Warner Brown, in his first start since coming back from injury, took just five minutes to open the scoring. Raheem Edwards (15th and 57th) added two more and Shaquile Bradford and Kimoni Bailey scored one each, to ensure the visitors enter next week’s second leg at home with one foot in the final.

Demario Phillips had the first effort on goal, but his free kick from a tight angle was denied by goalkeeper Christopher Biggette.

Brown put the Jamaicans in front five minutes into the match, combining with Daniel Green before firing low past Biggette. Although the goal was initially ruled out for offside, it was eventually given.

Raheem Edwards would extend Mount Pleasant lead 10 minutes later, latching on to Jamoi Topeys long ball over the top and volleying past the advancing Biggette.

Jahshaun Anglin came close to adding a third, but his deflected strike was denied by Biggette. Kevin Molino had Defence Force’s best chance of the half, but fired into the side netting.

Brown had a great chance to add another early in the second half, but dragged his shot wide.

However, Edwards would get the third after 57 minutes when he picked up a pass from Brown and slammed a low shot past Biggette from 12 yards.

Edwards nearly had a hat-trick in the 73rd minute, when Brown played a ball across the area to find him at the far post, but his effort was turned away by a deflection.

The Trinidadian club nearly pulled one back minutes later, but Molino’s shot was blocked by Tafari Chambers in the Mt Pleasant goal.

Shaquile Bradford put the game out of reach five minutes from the end, when he ran on to a pass and slotted past Biggette for Mount Pleasant’s fourth.

Bailey then put the icing on the cake with a fine individual goal in the second minute of stoppage time.

Kaihim Thomas eventually grabbed a consolation for Defence Force, scoring late in stoppage time (90+7).