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Boyz break jinx
...Defeat Panama 3-2 to end 40-year winless streak
By Ian Burnett, Sports Editor
Monday, June 08, 2009
Devon Hodges and Keammar Daley registered their first senior international goals to help Jamaica to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Panama inside the National Stadium last night, and give outgoing head coach John Barnes a grand send-off.
Jamaica's Keammar Daley (right) scores his team's winning goal against Panama in their friendly international at the National Stadium last night. Panama's Roman Torres (left) and skipper Felipe Baloy try in vain to prevent the ball from going in. Jamaica won 3-2. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
The victory, which was completed by a brilliant solo effort from Jermaine Johnson, broke a 40-year jinx for the Boyz, who last defeated the Central Americans on November 5, 1969, and it gave Barnes the enviable record of five wins and four draws in nine games, including the Digicel Caribbean Cup Championships last December.
Barnes, the Jamaican-born England international and Liverpool legend, who was appointed head coach last November, is heading back to England to take up the manager's job at Tranmere Rovers, though he had hoped to guide the team at next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Against the run of play, Panama shocked the two-thirds filled Stadium when they took the lead through Blas Perez on a defensive lapse, but Johnson equalised just before the break, before Hodges put his team ahead only for Luis Tejada to find an equaliser 10 minutes from the end.
However, Meadhaven United's Daley gave Jamaica victory with his well-taken goal at the death.
Panama took a surprise lead when Blas Perez escaped an offside trap high up the field and the lanky striker dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area and after turning a retreating Demar Phillps, powered home a fierce fight-footer well out of the flailing arms of the diving Duwayne Kerr in goal.
The Reggae Boyz kept their composure and tried moving the ball around, without much success, as the nippy Panamanians ensured that no player had too much time on the ball.
The Boyz were getting closer to their target and when Hodges, who was picked out by Jamal Campbell-Ryce midway the opponents' half, sped towards goal and unleashed a firm grounder which was accepted on the second attempt by Meija, the confidence of the team reappeared.
The marauding Rodolph Austin, who had offered the first couple of shots on the visitors' goal, forced goalkeeper Luis Meija to tip a rasping right-footed effort over the top for a corner, and moments later he should have done better by pulling his team level, but he watched in disbelief when his volley from six yards soared harmlessly over the frame.
Luton Shelton
On the stroke of half time the crowd got something to cheer about when Johnson received a pass midway his own half. The former Tivoli Gardens midfielder turned his marker expertly, then went on a mazy run which saw him accelerate between two opponents, dribble straight down the middle of the field, and with the defenders retreating, wisely shoot home from just inside the box to provide parity going into the break.
Jamaica dodged a bullet immediately upon the resumption as two Panamanians were allowed in close quarters to Kerr, but the giant goalkeeper was able to recover the ball in a melee.
However, Barnes' Boyz put that near miss behind them and embarked on a sustained period of pressurising the opposition, which eventually reaped the rewards it deserved.
In one flowing move, Austin produced a diagonal cross-field pass from right to Johnson on the left. The Sheffield Wednesday player controlled before relaying a blind pass to the overlapping Rafe Wolfe, who had replaced Demar Phillips just before the break, but his neat pull back for Hodges resulted in Meija going low to parry the Rivoli United player's left-footed strike.
He made amends quickly, and with merely five minutes gone in the second half, Hodges rammed home at the back post after Meija mishandled Jamal Campbell-Ryce's right-sided corner kick. The Panamanians appealed for a foul on Meija, but the Cayman Islands referee waved them off.
It was the first goal at the senior level for Hodges, the leading marksman in the local Premier League with 25, in only his second appearance.
His strike partner Luton Shelton also had his opportunity, after being set free down the middle of the field, but his weak left-footer was graciously accepted by Meija on the second attempt.
The Jamaicans held sway and could have extended their lead, but Meija held his ground well on occasions, while the strikers were inaccurate on others.
But from nowhere, Panama drew level in the 81st minute when substitute Luis Tejada pumped home a header from close range between the central defenders from a right-sided cross.
Once again the bogey team seemed to have done it against Jamaica, but referee Whittaker and his assistant conjured up magic for the home team, and they should be given much of the credit for Jamaica's winner.
Unbelievably, Johnson in possession of the ball towards the right side of the pitch, relayed a pass to Oraine Simpson, who had arrived in an offside position, waited in that position on the right flank before cutting back to substitute Keammar Daley.
Though play should have been called back for an offside, no one can question the manner in which Daley took his chance. He turned inside his marker effortlessly before driving a sweet left-footer, which was partially blocked by Meija, but there was enough pace on the ball to take it beyond the goal line, sparking much celebration inside the venue.
It was also Daley's first goal at the senior level.
But the game turned ugly in time added as Johnson, whose solo effort for the equaliser had brought so much joy to the home fans, was sent off for violent conduct, along with Panama's captain Felipe Baloy. It was the second ejection for Johnson in three games. He was also sent off in the friendly international against Nigeria in London in February.
Teams: Jamaica - Duwayne Kerr, Damion Stewart, Desmond Breakenridge, Demar Phillips (Rafe Wolfe 41st), Oraine Simpson, Jason Morrison (Khari Stephenson 69th), Rodolph Austin, Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Navion Boyd 76th), Jermaine Johnson, Desmond Hodges (Keammar Daley 80th), Luton Shelton (Nicholas Addlery 67th).
Subs not used: Dwayne Miller, Adrian Reid, Richard Edwards.
Booked: Phillips (24th), Morrison (45th+), Austin (57th), Stewart (62nd), Campbell-Ryce (76th), Johnson (ejected 90th+).
Panama - Luis Meija, Joel Solanilla, Roman Torres, Blas Perez (Luis Tejada 46th), Nelson Barahona, Tolando Escobar (Nicolas Munoz 79th), Gabriel Gomez, Alberto Blanco, Jose Garces (Anal Canales 67th), Felipe Baloy, Armando Gun.
Subs not used: Jose Calderon, Jose Anthony, Luis Jaramillo, Luis Henriquez.
Booked: Gun (45th+), Barahona (49th), Blanco (51st), Tejada (53rd), Baloy (ejected 90th+).
Referee: Alfredo Whittaker (Cayman Islands)
Assistant Referees: Rohan Thorbourne, Kedlee Powell (Jamaica)
Fourth Official: Raymond Bogle (Jamaica)
Match commissary:
Anthony Cooke (Jamaica)
Referee Assessor:
Lloyd Harrison (Jamaica)
...Defeat Panama 3-2 to end 40-year winless streak
By Ian Burnett, Sports Editor
Monday, June 08, 2009
Devon Hodges and Keammar Daley registered their first senior international goals to help Jamaica to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Panama inside the National Stadium last night, and give outgoing head coach John Barnes a grand send-off.
Jamaica's Keammar Daley (right) scores his team's winning goal against Panama in their friendly international at the National Stadium last night. Panama's Roman Torres (left) and skipper Felipe Baloy try in vain to prevent the ball from going in. Jamaica won 3-2. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)The victory, which was completed by a brilliant solo effort from Jermaine Johnson, broke a 40-year jinx for the Boyz, who last defeated the Central Americans on November 5, 1969, and it gave Barnes the enviable record of five wins and four draws in nine games, including the Digicel Caribbean Cup Championships last December.
Barnes, the Jamaican-born England international and Liverpool legend, who was appointed head coach last November, is heading back to England to take up the manager's job at Tranmere Rovers, though he had hoped to guide the team at next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Against the run of play, Panama shocked the two-thirds filled Stadium when they took the lead through Blas Perez on a defensive lapse, but Johnson equalised just before the break, before Hodges put his team ahead only for Luis Tejada to find an equaliser 10 minutes from the end.
However, Meadhaven United's Daley gave Jamaica victory with his well-taken goal at the death.
Panama took a surprise lead when Blas Perez escaped an offside trap high up the field and the lanky striker dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area and after turning a retreating Demar Phillps, powered home a fierce fight-footer well out of the flailing arms of the diving Duwayne Kerr in goal.
The Reggae Boyz kept their composure and tried moving the ball around, without much success, as the nippy Panamanians ensured that no player had too much time on the ball.
The Boyz were getting closer to their target and when Hodges, who was picked out by Jamal Campbell-Ryce midway the opponents' half, sped towards goal and unleashed a firm grounder which was accepted on the second attempt by Meija, the confidence of the team reappeared.
The marauding Rodolph Austin, who had offered the first couple of shots on the visitors' goal, forced goalkeeper Luis Meija to tip a rasping right-footed effort over the top for a corner, and moments later he should have done better by pulling his team level, but he watched in disbelief when his volley from six yards soared harmlessly over the frame.
Luton SheltonOn the stroke of half time the crowd got something to cheer about when Johnson received a pass midway his own half. The former Tivoli Gardens midfielder turned his marker expertly, then went on a mazy run which saw him accelerate between two opponents, dribble straight down the middle of the field, and with the defenders retreating, wisely shoot home from just inside the box to provide parity going into the break.
Jamaica dodged a bullet immediately upon the resumption as two Panamanians were allowed in close quarters to Kerr, but the giant goalkeeper was able to recover the ball in a melee.
However, Barnes' Boyz put that near miss behind them and embarked on a sustained period of pressurising the opposition, which eventually reaped the rewards it deserved.
In one flowing move, Austin produced a diagonal cross-field pass from right to Johnson on the left. The Sheffield Wednesday player controlled before relaying a blind pass to the overlapping Rafe Wolfe, who had replaced Demar Phillips just before the break, but his neat pull back for Hodges resulted in Meija going low to parry the Rivoli United player's left-footed strike.
He made amends quickly, and with merely five minutes gone in the second half, Hodges rammed home at the back post after Meija mishandled Jamal Campbell-Ryce's right-sided corner kick. The Panamanians appealed for a foul on Meija, but the Cayman Islands referee waved them off.
It was the first goal at the senior level for Hodges, the leading marksman in the local Premier League with 25, in only his second appearance.
His strike partner Luton Shelton also had his opportunity, after being set free down the middle of the field, but his weak left-footer was graciously accepted by Meija on the second attempt.
The Jamaicans held sway and could have extended their lead, but Meija held his ground well on occasions, while the strikers were inaccurate on others.
But from nowhere, Panama drew level in the 81st minute when substitute Luis Tejada pumped home a header from close range between the central defenders from a right-sided cross.
Once again the bogey team seemed to have done it against Jamaica, but referee Whittaker and his assistant conjured up magic for the home team, and they should be given much of the credit for Jamaica's winner.
Unbelievably, Johnson in possession of the ball towards the right side of the pitch, relayed a pass to Oraine Simpson, who had arrived in an offside position, waited in that position on the right flank before cutting back to substitute Keammar Daley.
Though play should have been called back for an offside, no one can question the manner in which Daley took his chance. He turned inside his marker effortlessly before driving a sweet left-footer, which was partially blocked by Meija, but there was enough pace on the ball to take it beyond the goal line, sparking much celebration inside the venue.
It was also Daley's first goal at the senior level.
But the game turned ugly in time added as Johnson, whose solo effort for the equaliser had brought so much joy to the home fans, was sent off for violent conduct, along with Panama's captain Felipe Baloy. It was the second ejection for Johnson in three games. He was also sent off in the friendly international against Nigeria in London in February.
Teams: Jamaica - Duwayne Kerr, Damion Stewart, Desmond Breakenridge, Demar Phillips (Rafe Wolfe 41st), Oraine Simpson, Jason Morrison (Khari Stephenson 69th), Rodolph Austin, Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Navion Boyd 76th), Jermaine Johnson, Desmond Hodges (Keammar Daley 80th), Luton Shelton (Nicholas Addlery 67th).
Subs not used: Dwayne Miller, Adrian Reid, Richard Edwards.
Booked: Phillips (24th), Morrison (45th+), Austin (57th), Stewart (62nd), Campbell-Ryce (76th), Johnson (ejected 90th+).
Panama - Luis Meija, Joel Solanilla, Roman Torres, Blas Perez (Luis Tejada 46th), Nelson Barahona, Tolando Escobar (Nicolas Munoz 79th), Gabriel Gomez, Alberto Blanco, Jose Garces (Anal Canales 67th), Felipe Baloy, Armando Gun.
Subs not used: Jose Calderon, Jose Anthony, Luis Jaramillo, Luis Henriquez.
Booked: Gun (45th+), Barahona (49th), Blanco (51st), Tejada (53rd), Baloy (ejected 90th+).
Referee: Alfredo Whittaker (Cayman Islands)
Assistant Referees: Rohan Thorbourne, Kedlee Powell (Jamaica)
Fourth Official: Raymond Bogle (Jamaica)
Match commissary:
Anthony Cooke (Jamaica)
Referee Assessor:
Lloyd Harrison (Jamaica)
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