Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors opened its campaign in the Digicel Caribbean Cup qualifiers with a comfortable 6-2 victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in Group F action at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, last night. The local team got three goals from striker Devon Jorsling, including a second minute left-footer which gave his team the lead and set the tone for the rest of the game. Kerry Baptiste scored a double and Hughton Hector also got his name on the scoresheet. The Warriors, led by captain Clyde Leon, dominated the midfield but could not capitilise on their dominance in the first half and paid the price when the visitors equalised through Shandel Samuel in the 27th minute. Jorsling, however, put his team back in front, hitting a righ footed shot past goalkeeper Dwayne Sandy in the 36th minute.
The Warriors should have increased their lead in the 41st minute but Jamal Gay fail to convert a good left side cross from Kendall Jagdeosingh. SVG would make T&T pay dearly for the miss, when Julius James' weak clearance found an unmarked Cornelius Stewart who beat an advancing Jan Williams to put his team back on level terms, two minutes from the end of the half. The floodgates opened in the second period, however, as Baptiste, who replaced Gay in the 52nd minute, scored with his third touch, four minutes later, after collecting a cross from Lester Peltier on the right side. Jorsling added his third and T&T's fourth when he combined with Jagdeosingh in the 59th minute and blasted his shot past a bewildered Sandy.
Members of the T&T team join Devon Jorsling in celebration after his second minute goal gave T&T the lead in the Digicel Caribbean Cup qualifier against SVG last night.
Baptiste got his second and T&T's fifth after he was brought down just outside the area. The resulting free kick from skipper Leon was played to Hector, who replaced Trent Noel in the 62th minute. Hector found a free Baptiste who made no mistake with his shot in the 66th minute.
Hector added his name to the score sheet in the 90th minute when he took advantage of a disorganised SVG defence and his well taken free kick beat Sandy. In the first match of the double header, Haiti and Guyana played to a dull goalless draw in their Group F match. The clash between the 2007 champion, Haiti and number two ranked team in the region, Guyana, failed to live up to expectations, which resulted in both teams walking away with a point. Action continues tomorrow with T&T playing Guyana in the second match of a double header at 7 pm Haiti and SVG will meet in the first game from 5 pm Both matches will be played at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.