COACH Bertille St Clair was not completely satisfied with the performance but pleased with the good result as Trinidad and Tobago whipped St Kitts-Nevis 5-1 in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier yesterday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
The victory was a morale-booster for the Soca Warriors who leave today for another World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Wednesday.
Yesterday's success put the Soca Warriors atop their semi-final group with nine points from four matches, the same as the Mexicans, who have played a game less. And the result almost certainly eliminates St Kitts-Nevis from advancing to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying.
Before a capacity crowd at Marabella, Trinidad and Tobago got the fast start they wanted when St Kitts-Nevis defender Alexander Riley re-directed a low cross from T&T striker Cornell Glen past goalkeeper Akil Byron in the ninth minute.
Coventry striker Stern John then doubled the Soca Warriors' tally in the 25th minute when he clinically lifted the ball into the roof of the net from a short pass by wide midfielder Kenwyne Jones.
Despite the good opening, T&T never pressed home the advantage and allowed St Kitts-Nevis back into the match.
First, T&T goalkeeper Shaka Hislop enhanced his reputation as a shot blocker by smothering Austin Huggins' close-up attempt, but then Marvin Andrews' mis-timed tackle on Keith Gumbs gave St Kitts-Nevis a penalty which Gumbs converted himself in the 43rd minute to make the score 2-1.
For long periods Trinidad and Tobago played disjointed football and struggled to string passes together, but they continued to create openings at fairly regular intervals.
United States-based striker Cornell Glen was given his first starting role on the team, but looked short of confidence and wasted a couple of gilt-edged chances in the first half, and again early in the second when he had an almost exact replica of an earlier miss when breaking clear up the right and shooting into the side-netting.
Ironically, Glen figured in the best-constructed goal of the day when sweeping a low shot into the St Kitts-Nevis goal in the 71st minute to make the score 3-1, after Jones had done all the hard work on the right flank.
With the stuffing then knocked firmly out of St Kitts-Nevis, Stern John collected a square pass from substitute Jerren Nixon and hit low past Byron in the 82nd minute to take the score to 4-1.
John then returned the compliment to Nixon by setting up the left-footer for a close up swipe on goal which resulted in a fifth T&T goal in the 89th minute of the match.
St Kitts-Nevis also had a few second half chances and hit the side-netting of the T&T goal from close in and later Hislop did not have a clue when Gumbs' powerful free-kick whizzed to goal and crashed onto an upright of the T&T goal.
Afterwards, coach St Clair said he was happy with the result and saw some of what he would have liked before meeting Mexico.
"We go to Mexico to play a game. I did not completely see all that I wanted," St Clair said, "but we are getting there."
St Clair added that he did not think Mexico were unbeatable and the Soca Warriors leave with a desire to get a positive result there.
Both captain Angus Eve and striker John were also pleased with the victory.
John said they deserved the win, while Eve remarked that while T&T are still to develop a chemistry on the field, coach St Clair still has not selected his best XI and the team will improve with matches under their belt.