Scrappy Boyz! Minnows hold Ja 0-0 in W'Cup qualifier

[Karl]

Scrappy Boyz! Minnows hold Ja 0-0 in W'Cup qualifier

WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
IAN BURNETT with the REGGAE BOYZ in Antigua
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

ST JOHN'S, Antigua — In a lack lustre performance, Jamaica could only eke out a point in a 0-0 stalemate against a spirited, if not talented Antigua and Barbuda aggregation here at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds last night.


The point moved Jamaica to four in Group A of the semi-final phase of the CONCACAF World Cup play-offs, one ahead of the USA, who were slated to face Guatemala away in a late kick off.

Antigua and Barbuda, who were making the semi-final phase of the competition for the first time, improved to one point, with the Central Americans pointless.

When the fixtures were announced by FIFA, head coach Theodore Whitmore and his technical staff would have been looking to take maximum points away from the tiny eastern Caribbean outfit, clearly the weakest on paper, and yesterday's loss of two points could prove critical for the Reggae Boyz qualification bid for the final round which will be contested between February and October next year.

The Antiguans were the first to have a close look at Dwayne Miller's face when Lawson Robinson received a throw in behind the Jamaican defence, which was caught out, but Miller was alert off his line to smother the feeble effort from just inside the penalty area.

The Boyz responded immediately with Lovell Palmer relaying a floated pass down the right channel for the speedy Dane Richards, who held up play well before turning the ball back for Rodolph Austin to centre. However, Ryan Johnson's firm headed contact was easily saved by a well-placed Morvin James at his near post.

At the other end, Peter Byers, who got the goal against the USA last Friday, just failed to bundle home a left-sided corner, after the all-yellowclad Antigua and Barbuda players capitalised on their superior height advantage from a deep cross.

Demar Phillips, the man who opened the scoring for Jamaica against Guatemala last Friday, worked his way into a shooting position near the break, but James got down quick enough at his near post to palm away for a corner.

And moments later, Johnson was on target once again with a header from a looping cross from Palmer, but James was there to save the day for the Eastern Caribbean side.

The ambitious Antiguans threatened again upon the resumption, forcing Phillips to scramble a grounded cross dangerously over his goal for a corner.
At the other end, Richards got the best chance of the game to put the green jersey, black shorts and green shocking-clad Boyz ahead, only to muff the chance by booting the ball high over the crossbar with only goalkeeper James to beat.

Je-Vaughn Watson, who was ineffective in the first half, cut inside his markers from the left before playing a neat pass to Johnson, who teed-up the New York Red Bull inside the area. He should have done much better.
The physically strong Antiguans always posed a threat at the other end from set pieces and on one occasion, Randolph Burton narrowly missed making contact with Tamorley Thomas’s left-sided cross deep into the Jamaican penalty box.

Then just after the hour mark, Shelton, the captain on the night, struck the right upright after Watson had again done well to weave his way into a dangerous area before rolling a cross on the penalty spot for Shelton to strike left-footed.

From the rebound which fell under Johnson’s feet, he couldn’t get the ball out quickly enough to turn into an unguarded net.

At the end, the result is probably what the Boyz deserved, as they never displayed the tenacity, urgency and hunger of a team which was desperate for three points in the land of the great West Indian cricketer and national hero, Sir Vivian Richards.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...ifier_11686291

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[Karl]

Gritty Antigua hold Reggae Boyz

Gritty Antigua hold Reggae Boyz


Shelton ... hit a shot on upright. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer


Antigua and Barbuda's Benna Boys and the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica played to a goalless draw in their Group A CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Semi-final Round football match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium last night.

Both teams earned a point from the result. Jamaica, which beat Guatemala 2-1 in their opening match at the National Stadium last Friday, advanced to four points, three more that the Antiguans, who went down 3-1 to the United States in the other Group A match Friday.

At press time last night, Guatemala and the United States were playing their second match.

With the stands almost packed to the rafters in a sea of gold, the colours of the home team, Jamaica had to soak up a lot of pressure in the first 15 minutes from the Benna Boys, who started the game very aggressively.

However, Antigua and Barbuda were constantly dispossessed in the final third as a combination of injudicious plays by their forwards and stellar defence by Jamaica saw the Reggae Boyz defence holding firm.

One of Antigua and Barbuda's best chances came in the 23rd minute when the ball was placed at the feet of striker Peter Byers directly in front of goal and with just the keeper to beat, he tapped gently into the waiting arms of a grateful Dwayne Miller.

Diving save
Jamaica went close in the 40th minute when a beautiful kick floated cross from JeVaughn Watson forced a diving save from Antigua and Barbuda custodian Molvin James.

Then in the 43rd minute, Antigua and Barbuda's strikers, on a counter-attack, made it to the top of the area when yet again poor finishing saw the Benna Boys' Kieran Murtagh hitting a weak shot to Miller.

With Antigua and Barbuda enjoying most of the possession, Jamaica's Reggae Boyz were fortunate to go into the half without conceding a goal, as Antigua and Barbuda were left to rue a host of missed chances.

In spite of all this, Jamaica's first touches in the first half were excellent and their movement off the ball was superb, so even though the Reggae Boyz were certainly not dominant, they showed some quality.

Antigua and Barbuda started the second half with the same formation they played in the first half, with just one man forward. But Jamaica came out pushing more men forward and started brightly, immediately putting the Antigua and Barbuda defence under pressure.

In the 55th minute Jamaica suffered a scare when Antigua and Barbuda striker Peter Byers broke free from a sea of green and hit a pass across the Jamaica goal, when a sliding save by Demar Phillips almost put the ball into the back of his own net. However, the ball soared just over the crossbar and Jamaica lived to fight another day.

Jamaica, looking the fresher of the two teams, continued to press the attack, keeping the Benna Boys' defence under pressure.

But against the run of play - in the 61st - Antigua and Barbuda missed another sitter. Tamarley 'Ziggy' Thomas, coming down the left flank, beat three defenders and hit a lateral cross and though he was all alone in the six-yard box, Randolph 'Etty' Burton failed to get a touch.

On the ensuing possession Jamaica came within a whisker of scoring when Luton Shelton, after beating his defender with a neat pass off Watson, hit a hard shot from a tight angle at the Antigua and Barbuda goal, only to see the ball crash into the upright.

In the 72nd minute Byers once again beat a Jamaica defender and pulled the trigger, only to see his shot miss the target by a few inches.

As the second half wore on the Reggae Boyz turned up the heat, coming forward in numbers with crisp passing and good ball movement as they looked for a goal that would not come.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports1.html