Jaguars too hot for Vincy Heat

The New Technical Director of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines football programme will have to devise a crash course for the senior team, Vincy Heat, in their first touch and possession play, if they are to pose a serious threat to Canada, in the 2010 World Cup second round tie, set for June.{{more}}

These two areas of incompetence were quite evident last Sunday evening at the Victoria Park, when Vincy Heat faced Guyana – ‘The Golden Jaguars’, in the return leg of an international friendly.

But despite the deficiencies, the home team came from behind to earn a 2-2 tie.

It took something special, from the Vincentians’ best player on the night, Emerald George, to save the day.

George received a flick on pass from Cornelius Stewart in the 80th minute. George, uncharacteristically used his right foot to curl a shot to the left of the Guyanese goalkeeper.

Guyana, with two second half goals, had taken the lead. First, the dreadlocked Konata Mannings, poaching just outside the St. Vincent and the Grenadines penalty area, made good of some indecisive defending, to equalise with a shot on the near post that beat Winslow Mc Dowall in goal in the 56th minute.

By this time, the Guyanese had taken control of the midfield play, with some deft inter passing.

It was too long before their fans, waving their Guyanese national flag, were jumping, numbing the Vincentian crowd, which had become chocker block.

Another piece of poor defending in the 68th minute allowed substitute Anthony Abrams to slot home the ball pass an advancing Mc Dowall.

But it was St. Vincent and the Grenadines first to go on the score sheet. Even before the large crowd got a chance to settle, and as many were held up at the gate, trying to make their way into the one entrance, one exit venue, Randolph Williams put the Vincentians in the ascendancy.

Williams hit a rasping low free kick from about thirty yards out, in the 6th minute, that gave the home team the lead.

Shell shocked by the opening burst, the Guyanese soon found their rhythm, and put the Vincentians on the ropes with some connective passing and possession. But the starting defence of Keith James, Troy Jeffers, Richard Hayde and Captain Wesley Charles held firm.

As the pendulum swung back and forth, St. Vincent and the Grenadines had an opportunity to extend the lead in the 31st minute, but Shandell Samuel’s shot was denied by the cross bar. A screeching run two minutes later by Canadian based import Omarie Aldridge resulted in his shot going wide.

Guyana’s Dwain Jacobs hit the side netting in injury time of the first half after a good build up on the left side.

Interim Coach of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines team Roger Gurley told SEARCHLIGHT, following last Sunday’s match, that he was not totally satisfied with the outcome.

“I am not totally satisfied, as we came here tonight to look for a victory, especially playing at home”, Gurley said.

“We did not capitalise on our chances in the first half and our defence lapsed in the second half”, were Gurley’s observations.

When the two teams met in Guyana January 13, the home team triumphed 1-0.

Gurley’s opposite number Jamaal Shabazz thought the result was the best both teams could have had on the night.

“It was a tough game, played with a lot of passion as you can see, but in true Caribbean spirit”, Shabazz, a Trinidadian said.

And, it was the passion that Shabazz spoke about, that saw Referee Caswell Cambridge, in his first major test, unhesitantly dishing out a number of yellow cards, and one red, as tempers flared.

“There was a lot of flair displayed on both teams, which shows that there is a lot of talent in the region,” the Guyanese coach concluded.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines next friendly international would again be on home soil, when they face Grenada February 10 at the Victoria Park, following which they travel to Guadeloupe to the face the host, February 29.(RT)