Martinique slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago’s Under 23 team in a friendly at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella on Tuesday evening, T&T faced a Martinique team which included six players from their 3-2 CONCACAF play-off win over the “Soca Warriors” in the French island two months ago.
The result was far from what coach Theodore Antonin would have been hoping for as his team prepares for next month’s FC Gold Cup where they will face off in Group C with United States and El Salvador.
Goals by Lyndon Diaz in the 76th and Joe Public striker Andre Toussaint in the 90th and Kendall Davis in added on time did the job for the home team which is preparing for their opening 2004 Olympic qualifying matches against Bahamas in September.
The Martiniquans struggled to find their rhythm in the first half with strikers Jose Goron and Willy Padoly hardly having a look at goal as the game went along at a leisurely pace for the opening half hour.
Padoly had Martinique’s only effort on goal when he forced goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams to save low on his near post in the 21st minute.
As the under-23 squad dithered in the first half, Davis was more culpable than most.
God alone knows why he attempted two touches when, in the 19th minute, a scuffed shot from midfielder Michael Celestine sent the ball fortuitously to his feet at the edge of the six-yard box.
His markers did not attempt to find out and a straightforward clearance for the Martinique defence spoilt arguably the best chance of the match.
Davis then struck an upright just before the interval after being sent clear by playmaker Kerry Baptiste, but again the space afforded him demanded better. Celestine was just as wasteful and Fevrier should have been grateful that Martinique did not travel with talented playmaker Patrick Percin.
Josh Johnson also brought action from Martinique’s ‘keeper Jean Francois Go with a similar try in the 34th, although there was much to appreciate from the defensive pairing of Ronald Primus and Kenwyne Jones.
Jones’ booming right foot and captain Silvio Spann’s snappier short balls were T&T’s main offensive weapons, camouflaged behind the stream of horizontal passes that has characterised Connection’s game under Fevrier.
As the half time break approached, Martinique were fortunate not have fallen behind as Francis Go had to dive low to save Silvio Spann’s blast from 25 yards out and then Davis’ shot went outside off the right post.
The second half continued in the same fashion as the first with the home-team maintaining a disciplined approach while the visitors looked unlikely to break the deadlock.
But the Gold Cup Group C participants were also unlucky on 61st minutes as back to back attempts by Goron and Roberto Cinna were denied by the woodwork. First, Goron’s low drive beat Williams but rebounded off the left post and then Cinna’s follow up attempt from close range crashed off the crossbar.
That was about as close as they would come to finding the mark as the home side then showed how to get it done.
Silvio Spann’s deep right side free kick found the head of Lyndon Diaz for the opener and the score then tripled near the end.
A penetrative right flank run by Johnson led to him crossing for substitute Toussaint to clinically hit home with his left foot from atop the six yard box. And then Davis epitomised their new-found confidence with an emphatic third.
Experienced Judes Vaton was stripped so cleanly of possession that Davis was already bearing towards goal before he had fully grasped the magnitude of the offence.
Davis’s left foot strike brooked no argument as it went whistling past Francis Go to the back of the net to leaven the scre line 3-0 in T&T's favor.
“I believe we have more competition for places with the under-23 team than we do with the senior squad,” Fevrier admitted afterwards. “I think it is a very important win. But, having said that, it is only a friendly and we must keep our feet on the ground. “The important thing now is to get more under-23 games.” The spectators present would be anxious for an encore.
Martinique:
Jean Francis Go, Ludovic Mirande, Judes Vaton, Jean Victor Lavril, Willy Padoly, Roberto Cinna (Earlston Edmee 82nd), Steeve Riskwait (Jean Michel Michaud 46th) Miguel Duragrin, Jose Goron (David Bastel 81st) Gael Germany, Yann Girier Dufournier (William Anin 61st)
T&T:
Jan-Micheal Williams, Kenwyne Jones (Corey Rivers 69th) Lyndon Diaz, Ronald Primus, Michael Celestine (Kevon Clement 46th), Nigel Daniel (Hollis Brown 67th), Josh Johnson, Silvio Spann (capt), Kendall Davis, Kerry Baptiste (Devon Mitchell 61st), Conrad Smith (Andre Toussaint 54th).
T&T Under 23s face Martinique at Manny Ramjohn tomorrow.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
Coach Stuart Charles Fevrier will get a first look at his Under 23 players when the National Olympic team faces Martinique's senior team in a friendly at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella from 6pm tomorrow (Tuesday).
With the qualifying tournament for the 2004 Athens Games kicking off in September, Fevrier is keen to have his team step up preparations and welcomes the chance to face the Martiniquans who are through to next month's 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They are here on a short training camp ahead of the Finals.
Included in Fevrier's 20 man squad are four T&T senior team players just back from the tour of Africa. The likes of Vibe CT 105 W Connection duo Silvio Spann and goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams, Caledonia AIA's Conrad Smith and Nigel Daniel of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh will team up with the other players on Fevrier's list.
"From what I have seen so far, we seem to have a good bunch of youngsters at the under 23 level and this is a welcome sight. But in saying that, it's also a case where the selection process has not yet ended because these players have been called just for this game and we will continue to have wider screening sessions at this age group," Fevrier told TTFF Media on Monday.
"We do not have much time before the first game in September against Bahamas and as such we will be intensifying the preparations quite soon . This game against Martinique suits us fine because this level of opposition provides me with the chance to judge my players against a team that has qualified for the Gold Cup," he added.
Meanwhile, the T&T Senior team resumes training on Friday for the July 5 friendly international against Venezuela at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Fevrier will have in his squad, overseas-based players Stern John, Hector Sam, Carlos Edwards and Brent Rahim for this encounter. All four players are expected to attend training on Friday with only Scottish-based defender Marvin Andrews, currently home, missing out because of a thigh injury.
The Venezuelans arrive here on Tuesday for the second leg of the friendly tie which they won the first encounter 3-0 in San Cristobal in April.
T&T Under 23 Squad.
Jabloteh - Daurance Williams, Devon Mitchell, Ronald Primus, Nigel Daniel, Josh Johnson, Michael Celestine,Kerry Baptiste.
Caledonia - Serghino Sandy, Conrad Smith, Ryan Stewart.
Defence Force - Corey Rivers.
SWIF - Lyndon Diaz, Kevon Clement.
Joe Public - Andre Toussaint, Hollis Brown, Denzil Theobold.
W Connection - Kendall Davis, Jan Michael Williams, Silvio Spann, Kenwyne Jones.