Vincy Heat burns Montserrat, Barbados / St. Kitts and Nevis draw

Host St. Vincent and the Grenadines trounced Montserrat seven goals to nil last Wednesday evening, to take the lead in Group B of the Digicel Caribbean Cup.{{more}}

The visitors had no answer for the pacey Vincentians, who made light work of them at the Victoria Park in Kingstown.

Playing in front a sparse crowd and on a damp surface, the home team found acres of space, against the flat footed Montserratians, as their superiority was evident from early in the match.

The trio of Captain Shandell Samuel, Myron Samuel and Cornelius Stewart proved a handful, as they sliced through their opponents’ defence with consummate ease.

But it took a Shandell Samuel penalty in the 25th minute to break the deadlock. The penalty came after Darren Hamblett was fouled in the penalty area. Samuel was to score again one minute later, after outrunning the Montserrat defence, to slot the ball past goal keeper Micah Hamilton.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines then missed a series of goal scoring opportunities, including one on the stroke of half time by the Vincentian Captain.

On resumption, Montserrat ‘s Julian Wade did not make good of two chances early in the piece, after some poor defending by Chester Morgan, let him through.

The Vincentians got their third goal in the 56th minute, from a piece of individual brilliance from Damal Francis. Francis after flicking the ball up, unleashed a right footed shot, while still falling away.

Stewart added the fifth in the 64th minute, with an acrobatic right foot shot, after the Vincentians had strung several passes together, with the two Samuels: Shandell and Myron, playing their part.

Shandell Samuel completed his hat trick in the 66th minute, to put his team five goals up, following a solo effort from second half substitute Emerald George. George sliced past three defenders with an incisive run, as Samuel finished off the move with a right foot shot.

With the visitors dead and buried, Chad Balcombe, who replaced Shandell Samuel, found his name on the score sheet in the 70th minute, when he roofed the ball from a partial save from Hilton.

Montserrat being down to ten men, after the ejection of defender Ellis Remy for a second bookable offence, allowed Romano Snagg to complete the rout in the 89th minute, with a deft chip, as Hilton was out of position.

Technical Director and Coach of the Vincentian team Sammy Carrington said his players were good on the night, with their main attribute being the passing of the ball.

Kenneth Dyer, who doubles up as player / Coach for the Montserratians, blamed his players’ late arrival and some terrible defending for his team’s demise.

In the early match of the night, Barbados and St. Kitts and Nevis played to a one all tie.

Rashida Williams netted for Barbados in the 14th minute, as he caught the Kittian defence napping.

But the very organized Kittians through their two most experienced players in Captain Keith Gumbs and George Isaac, kept their shape and poise and mounted forays on the Barbados goal.

However, it was a bit of fortune that brought them the equalizer, as Isaac’s low shot in the 61st minute, from about 24 yards out, was not properly handled by Alvin Rouse in the Barbados goal, as the ball dribbled over the line.

Tonight, Friday, October 8, will see another double header at the same venue. From 6 pm, Montserrat takes on Barbados and from 8: 30 pm, St. Vincent and the Grenadines faces St. Kitts and Nevis, in a shift of the fixtures, which were originally released.

Group B concludes on Sunday, with St. Kitts and Nevis facing Montserrat from 6pm, to be followed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines against Barbados from 8: 30 pm.