By JOEL BAILEY Tuesday, November 24 2009

TRINIDAD AND Tobago finished the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-20 Women’s Final Round Qualifiers with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica, in a tense battle, at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya on Sunday night.

With the result, Trinidad and Tobago ended with seven points, the same as Jamaica, but with a superior goal difference to top the four-team group.

In the 67th minute, a headed clearance from central defender Shushana Dobson bounced deep in the Trinidad and Tobago half, but Camille Borneo’s meek effort to clear saw a lurking Semone Honeghan pounce on the opportunity and send a right-footed lob over the stranded goalkeeper Kimika Forbes.

English-born striker Karissa Rodney tied the scores for Trinidad and Tobago in the 84th, lashing her left-footer from inside the six-yard box after Jamaica goalie Shena Wint spilled a freekick, from the left, by Forbes’ younger sister Karyn.

Jamaica had the chance to claim victory in the 89th minute, after Sashana Campbell was upended in the penalty box by Trinidad and Tobago wing-back Taylor Mims.

But burly striker Teashian Thomas embarrassingly rolled her right-footer wide, to ensure that both teams ended with a share of the points.

With both teams entering the game with victories against Cuba and St Kitts/Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago brought in Latifa Kelly and Kareena Seaton for Kamile De Gale and Iyesha Ollivierre while Jamaica started Dobson, Honeghan and Trudi Carter in place of Shereen Clarke, Tasheka Gordon and Kemesha Woodfine.

Charged up by the vociferous support of their army personnel, who are in the country for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Jamaica took control from the onset, with Thomas rising to head Campbell’s 13th minute right-sided freekick against the crossbar, but Kimika Forbes gathered the loose ball.

Nine minutes later, another freekick, this time by Karyn Forbes, from near the half-line, bounced awkwardly and forced Wint to parry for a corner.

Kimika Forbes was called to produce an acrobatic save from Trudi Carter’s freekick in the 24th, while four minutes afterwards, Karyn Forbes’ in-swinging corner went over everyone in the six-yard box but Borneo, from the blind-side, could not get a touch, with the goal at her mercy.

Trinidad and Tobago was forced to make a change, late in the first half, when captain Mariah Shade, crippled by a right hamstring injury, had to be replaced by Seaton’s elder cousin Candace.

But Rhea Belgrave, who was at fault for both Jamaica free-kicks, sent her overhead shot against the crossbar, after the Jamaicans failed to deal with Kayla Taylor’s corner.

Jamaica tried to capitalise on Trinidad and Tobago’s lethargy, in the 49th, as Thomas slipped a ball down the right to Honeghan who, in turn, spotted the goal-bound Carter. But the advancing Kimika Forbes was quickly on hand to force a timely block.

Moments later, Rodney started a counter-attack which saw the ball relayed, via Ollivierre (a half-time introduction for Kelly), to Taylor, who forced Wint to tip the ball against the crossbar.

Honeghan opened the scoring 16 minutes later, but Ollivierre could have replied in the 70th, turning and hitting her left-footer against the post as the Jamaican defence struggled to clear a cross from Taylor.

But a set-piece proved to be Jamaica’s undoing, as they conceded their first goal in the competition, but Thomas muffed her chance to complete Jamaica’s 100-percent record.

In the earlier game at Macoya, Cuba registered their lone win of the qualifiers, a 6-0 hammering of a pathetic St Kitts/Nevis outfit, with captain Yezenia Martinez recording a beaver-trick while Loraine More and Rachel Ellis added one apiece.

Martinez opened the scoring after three minutes, collecting a freekick from Yaima Aguila and, with acres of space, hit her right-footer past the flat-footed goalie Laudine Liburd.

Cuba embarked on a series of attacks, and their persistence paid off in the 30th, when Ellis weaved her way through the middle and fed Martinez, who simply poked home a right-footed shot to Liburd’s left.

Midfielder Yaremi Ramirez teed up More to drill a right-footer, to the roof of the net, in the 37th; while Martinez completed her treble two minutes into the second half, taking a pass from Ellis and slotting to the right of Liburd.

Martinez got her fourth in the 68th, taking a diagonal ball from Aguila and, with the defence slow to react, her attempted lob was parried into the back of the net by Liburd.

And the St Kitts/Nevis goalie was again slow to react, this time to a 35-metre freekick from Ellis, in stoppage time, which flow to the top right-hand corner of the net.

St Kitts/Nevis’ plight was not helped by yellow cards issued by referee Deborah Zebeda to Tesril Nesbitt and Caroline Springer, in either half – the first set of cautions for the competition.

Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Cuba will progress to the CONCACAF Finals in Guatemala from January 16-28.

After the CONCACAF Finals, the top three teams will be booking their spots to the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.



Teams –

CUBA: Lucylena Rodriguez; Jessica Alvarez (Yarisleidy Noro 59th), Yamara Carrazana, Anay Lescaille, Marianela Chacon (Leodana Rodriguez 75th); Rachel Ellis, Yaima Aguila, Yameri Ramirez (Laura Marquez 85th), Maria Torres; Yezenia Martinez (capt), Loraine More.



ST KITTS/NEVIS: Laudine Liburd; Kerrise Hanley (Lloydeth Bloice 82nd), Charnel Arthurton, Lavern Francis, Rozel Liburd, Phonetia Browne; Tesril Nisbett, Kerisha Powell (Melissa Michael 59th), Kazel Williams; Shamekah Isaac, Caroline Springer (capt).



TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Kimika Forbes; Rhea Belgrave, Camille Borneo, Taylor Mims, Tiana Bateau; Karyn Forbes, Latifa Kelly (Iyesha Ollivierre 46th), Kayla Taylor, Kareena Seaton (Natasha St Louis 73rd); Mariah Shade (capt) (Candace Seaton 44th), Karissa Rodney.



JAMAICA: Shena Wint; Shushana Dobson (capt), Zovel Hyre, Tasheka Small, Shanise Foster; Cathyrn Rogers, Jamila Campbell-Henny (Shereen Clarke 46th – Nugene Nugent 65th), Sashana Campbell, Trudi Carter; Teashian Thomas, Semone Honeghan.