Under-20 footballers advance with goal scoring record

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Under-20 footballers did not only play unbeaten in Group D of the Caribbean Zone of the 2009 CONCACAF Competition and advance to the next phase, but established a Caribbean goal scoring record at that age level.{{more}}

Hosted in Grenada, the junior footballers last week Friday blasted lowly rated The British Virgin Islands (BVI) 23 -1, a score never achieved at the Under-20 before.

Feasting in the goal spree was Cornelius Stewart who had five goals. Stewart’s goals came in the 21st, 26th, 37th, 41st, and 45th minutes. The youngest player in the group, 15-year-old Myron Samuel scored four. His quartet was achieved in the 45th, 77th, 85th and 87th minutes. Also scoring four goals was Kurthland Williams, whose goals were netted in the 53rd, 68th, 70th and 72nd. Scoring hat tricks were Reginald Richardson and Devon Browne. Completing the rout was Chad Balcombe with a brace, and there were single strikes by Darren Hamlett and Antonio Douglas.

The Vincentians then went on Sunday to silence the Grenadians one nil, with Stewart scoring the lone goal in the 44th minute.

This ensured an unblemished record for the Vincentians, after beating Guyana 2-1 in their opening fixture last week Wednesday. Grenada beat the BVI 17-0, and drew with Guyana 2-2. The Guyanese whipped the BVI 14-0.

Grenada finished second, beating out Guyana on goal differential, but the Grenadians will have to await the outcome of the other groups to know if they are among the four best second place teams.

The winners of each of the five first round groups, along with the four best second-place finishers, will advance to the Caribbean Second Round Qualification that will be composed of three triangular groups in September 2008.

The top team from each triangular, along with the best second-place team, will progress to the Caribbean Final Round scheduled for December.

Trinidad & Tobago will host the CONCACAF U-20 Championship which is tentatively scheduled for January/February 2009.(RT)