Vincy Heat looking to finish strong

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ senior men’s Football team, Vincy Heat, will be looking to finish strong in their remaining two Group E matches of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers{{more}} against Belize next month, despite already being eliminated from the next stage.

Vincy Heat plays the Belizeans in Belize on Friday, November 11 and plays the return leg here on Tuesday, November 15.

Last Saturday afternoon at the Grenada National Stadium, the Vincentians, after enjoying a one nil lead going into injury time, allowed the host to equalize in the second minute of injury time, squandering the opportunity of three points.

The Vincentians netted in the 62nd minute, through Myron Samuel, but Clive Murray, a second half substitute, scored the equalizer.

According to the live match reports carried on local radio stations, Nice Radio, NBC Radio and Star FM, the Vincentians had showed some technical and tactical improvements over their last two home matches here against Guatemala and Grenada.

It was again a defensive lapse in concentration which allowed the Grenadians to share the spoils.

Dwaine Sandy, the Vincentian custodian, who reports say had an outstanding match up to that point, admitted to switching off in the dying stages of the match.

For the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ team Technical Director and Head Coach Colwyn Rowe, it was a disappointing result in the end, after having the lead going into the last few minutes of the match.

Speaking in a post-match interview, Rowe said: “Obviously, I am disappointed in the way it ended, but you have to be pleased with our performance.”

“You cannot give away goals like that, not when you are one up in the last seconds,” the Technical Director added.

Rowe stated that his charges played well against their opponents and it augurs well for the future development of the team, as he reiterated it is a young team, with most under the age of 23.

Looking ahead to the meetings with Belize, Rowe thought that it would be good for the Vincentians to get positive results, and at least finish with the consolation of placing second in the group.

Meanwhile, Captain of the Vincentian outfit, player/coach Cornelius Huggins, thinks that the future of the current crop of players looks good.

“The future looks good for these bunch of players and we could add a few more. I think the future looks real good; you just have to have the right blend and the right mixture with a few senior players to help the young ones when the going gets tough,” stated Huggins, who is also the player who came out of retirement to lead the young Vincentian team.

Guatemala tops the group with twelve points from their four matches and is certain to make the next phase. Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are locked on four points each, but the Grenadians are ahead on goal difference.

Belize lies last in the standings, with three points from their four matches.

The Vincentian starting XI were: Dwaine Sandy, Cornelius Huggins, Roy Richards, Jolanshoy Mc Dowald, Reginald Richardson, Myron Samuel, Shandell Samuel, Shemol Trimmingham, Emerald George, Wendell Cuffy, Shorn Lowman.

George was replaced by Chad Balcombe in the 80th minute and Myron Samuel by Durwin Ross in the 88th minute.

Substitutes not used: Winslow Mc Dowald, Damal Francis, Romano Snagg, Geroni Peters, Reginald Payne, Gregson Hazell.