Sidebar

16
Tue, Apr
Match Report
Virgin Islands (British) Trinidad & Tobago
Virgin Islands (British) T&T flag
 Nigel Pierre (7')
Nigel Pierre (65')
Kerwin Jemmott (69')
Silvio Spann (78')

Digicel Cup
DateVenueLocationAttendance
2004-12-12AO Shirley Recreational GroundsRoad Town, Virgin Islands (British)400


Soca Warriors seal 4-0 victory over Nature Boyz


Nigel Pierre scored first and second half goals, in leading the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors to a comfortable 4-0 victory over the British Virgin Islands' Nature Boyz, in the first leg of their Digicel Caribbean Cup match up at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds on Sunday afternoon. They will meet again in Trinidad on Sunday.

Pierre gave Trinidad an early 1-0 lead, when he scored on a free kick eight minutes into the game. The BVI had their best three first half chances at goal between the 24th and 30th minute of play, but all their shots went wide of the goal. The Soca Warriors launched a series of counter attacks, the last coming in the 44th minute, but was unable to score on a series of good saves by BVI goalie Monty Butler, and settled for a 1-0 halftime lead.

Just after Butler was given a red card early in the second half leaving the BVI with 10 men and substitute goalie Maxford Pipe in the nets, Pierre ended a 58 minute scoring lapse by igniting three second half goals when he scored in the 66th minute for a 2-0 lead. Pipe jumped and blocked the ball in the air, but on the rebound Pierre scored. The BVI missed its best chance to score in the 70th minute, when Trinidad's goalkeeper Daurance Williams dived to his right to save the goal. Five minutes later, Kerwyn Jemmott beat the BVI's defense, placing the ball to the right of Pipe for a 3-0 lead. Silvio Spann scored the final goal in the 90th minute on a right footer just to the right of the 18 yard box.

Trinidad's coach Bertille St. Clair said his guys were complaining about the ground conditions. "I explained to them that football is a level playing field and the guys have to play on it too, so you can't come and complain," he said. "But, I thought the BVI gave a good performance. It was unfortunate they lost their goalkeeper. On the other hand, we didn't play all the best, but we got the result we wanted."

In assessing the match, BVI Technical Director Ben Davies said his team was in the game even though they gave away a silly free kick, they didn't defend it very well as the wall broke down and they lost their concentration. He said the team was still in the game even after halftime. "There was not much difference between the two teams," Davies noted. "But, our goalkeeper got sent off and you're down to 10 men. The magnitude of the sending off was big, because Monty Butler is one of the outstanding players in the BVI and has been for years. To lose him at a crucial point in the game was massive. It's hard enough playing against Trinidad when you have 11 men, but when you have 10 men, it's even tougher."

At halftime, Davies said he told his players to play as they did in the first half-a 20 minute period when they controlled the ball. However, he was dissatisfied with some players in their positioning when they didn't have the ball. "Our midfield players have to tighten up and get back behind the ball in the second half and that was our game plan," Davies noted. "That was the plan for periods in the first half that worked because for 20 minutes before halftime, we had possession. We had our chances."

St. Clair said his goal coming in was to look at several players making the World Cup team and did not bring any overseas based players. "We came into this game for a victory because you must win this game to continue for the championship. It didn't matter whether we scored one, two or three goals," St. Clair explained. "My aim is the World Cup. We want to qualify and go to Germany. That is the main aim. It's a challenge but no team is unbeatable. If you look at what happened in the European Championships with Greece, they were a non entity. We can't jump and say "Mexico is unbeatable. America is unbeatable. That's rubbish." When you get on the field, it's a level playing field. Who make their chances will always win it."

Davies said its always great experience to play the top teams in the Caribbean as you get to know other team's strengths and their performances. "You can only get better," Davies stated. "If we were to play Trinidad four or five time a year, we obviously would be much closer to them. We were very close to them today until the sending off (of our goalkeeper). Decisions change games. That's the way football is. We just have to regroup now and try to build on what we were doing in the first half, for the second game in Trinidad."

LINEUP
1.Daurance Williams
 Avery John
6.Derek King
15.Anton Pierre
5.Keyeno Thomas
8.Angus Eve (capt.)
7.Leslie Fitzpatrick Yellow Card 55 '
 Subbed outKerwin Jemmott
 Subbed in 80' Silvio Spann
11.Densill Theobald
13.Subbed outCornell Glen
 Subbed in 62' Stephen Cruickshank
18.Subbed outNigel Pierre
 Subbed in 76' Conrad Smith
SUBSTITUTES
 Silvio Spann
 Stephen Cruickshank
 Conrad Smith
COACH
 Bertille St. Clair
SUBSTITUTIONS
62'Subbed outSubbed inStephen Cruickshank for Cornell Glen
76'Subbed outSubbed inConrad Smith for Nigel Pierre
80'Subbed outSubbed inSilvio Spann for Kerwin Jemmott
YELLOW CARDS
55'Yellow CardLeslie Fitzpatrick