Vincy Heat burns flavour out of Spice Boys

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Vincy Heat earned their first win in the World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Grenada’s Spice Boys, last Sunday afternoon at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.{{more}}

Contesting Group E of the CONCACAF Zone, the home team stamped their dominance on the match from the get go, as the Grenadians were flat-footed in the early part of the exchanges.

Myron Samuel was able to breach the Grenadian defence in the 27th minute of the match to slip the ball past an advancing Desmond Noel in the Grenada upright.

The Vincentians continued the momentum; however, timidity, callousness and indecision in the attacking third resulted in several chances being squandered.

In the interim, Grenada at the other end was able to hit the woodwork, while Dwaine Sandy, between the uprights for the home team, was required on a few occasions to make timely interventions, as the half ended 1-0 in the Vincentians’ favour.

A re-energised Grenadian team began the second half purposefully, and it was against the run of play that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was able to get its second goal.

Spectators saw a neat build up on the left side of the field, between second half substitute Emerald George, who replaced Damal Francis in the 58th minute, and Jolanshoy Mc Dowald, who provided Cornelius Stewart with a pinpoint left-footed cross, which Stewart deposited in the roof of the net with much aplomb in the 71st minute.

Stewart, though, was carded by Canadian referee Claude Ward for removing his shirt in celebration of his goal. Stewart, Shorn Lowman, and Darren Hamlett, who came on in the 80th minute to replace Myron Samuel, all received yellow cards in last Sunday’s match. Lowman got his in the 26th minute and Hamlett in the 80th.

Before him though, Shandell Samuel entered the fray in the 66th minute, as Wendell Cuffy checked out.

Grenada clawed their way back into the match, and in the 76th minute, Cassim Langaine finished off an indifferent move to cut the deficit in half.

The Vincentians, visibly tiring, began losing their composure, while the Grenadians grew in confidence, and came close on two occasions to levelling the score line, including a shot that hit the crossbar, with Sandy beaten.

It was St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ third win at the group stage of World Cup Qualifiers. The two previous triumphs came in 2004, when they beat St. Kitts and Nevis in both legs of the tie.

One team from Group E advances to the next phase, in a group which also includes the USA, and Jamaica and the winner of Group F, comprising Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao and US Virgin Islands.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ starting Eleven: 1 Dwaine Sandy, 3 Cornelius Huggins, 4 Roy Richards, 18 Reginald Richardson, 6 Shemmol Trimmingham, 16 Jolanshoy Mc Dowald, 2 Shorn Lowman, 7 Wendell Cuffy, 9 Myron Samuel, 19 Cornelius Stewart, 13 Damal Francis.

Subs. 20. WinslowMc Dowald, 15 Durwin Ross, 11 Emerald George, 5 Geroni Peters, 8 Darren Hamlett, 17 Akeeno Hazelwood, 10 Shandell Samuel.