Digicel Caribbean Championship group C: Cayman Islands, Antigua & Barbuda post opening wins

Aug 29, 2008 Sports

Digicel Caribbean Championship (DCC) Group C hosts Cayman Islands were far from hospitable in their treatment of St. Martin on the pitch as they carved their way to a 3-0 victory against the French speaking territory, while Antigua and Barbuda opened their offshore account in Grand Cayman with a clinical 4-0 demolition of Bermuda in the first group C matches on Wednesday evening.

The smallest nation in the world to have ever been partitioned, were torn asunder repeatedly by Cayman’s swift flank attacks and fluid movement off the ball.

After a goalless first half, which saw a number of opportunities going off target, the second half was a completely different affair, as the Caymanians came out with a revised game plan, no longer did they look to beat their markers one on one, instead their passing game would make St Martin chase the ball.

The new tactics proved effective immediately, as Calvin Jefford left sided run looked like the goal was his destination, instead he gave up the ball to Jairo Sanchez and took up a position in the box; outnumbered 3 to 1, the odds weren’t in his favour, but Sanchez’s beautiful cross fell perfectly for a venomous volley that left the net in stitches, 1-0 to Cayman.

Jefford was involved again in the second goal, which came 10 minutes later, a cross from the right side which was completely miscued by Charles Emile, allowing a tap in for Jairo Sanchez to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute.

Jefford would cap his man-of-the-match performance in injury time in a carbon copy of the play that preceded it, he latched onto the long throw from his own keeper Leighton Elliot, manoeuvred his way past the first defender, lobbed the ball over the second before stroking it into the path of the oncoming Nikolai Alexander Hill who made no mistake having come on just minutes before as a substitute.

Cayman Islands storming to victory in front of a home crowd for the first time in the Digicel Championships, something to treasure with a visit from Hurricane Gustav expected within days.

Next up for the Caymanians is the revenge match against Bermuda. And Antigua & Barbuda opened their DCC account on a positive note by demolishing Bermuda 4-0.

A big improvement from their last outing when they were hosted in Guyana and failed to make it past the first round, they look like changing that around this time.

They showed that by scoring their first goal after just 3 minutes when Bermuda’s goal keeper and Captain Timothey Figuerido left his goal exposed to an easy finish for Jamie Thomas, who strolled with the ball over the line for the first goal of his double. His second was converted in the 25th minute from the penalty spot.

Goal number three was as a result of a defensive lapse in the 62nd minute which saw Randolph Burton latch onto the faux pas, before slotting home coolly with the keeper at his mercy.

Virtually sealing the game their way, Antigua played ball possession to good effect and substitute Okeem Challenger ensured his name was on the score sheets when he buried goal number four in the 75th minute.

Antigua & Barbuda now sit at the top of the standings ahead of the host country on goal difference as both teams are on 3 points each.

They face St. Martin in their next fixture of the DCC tonight from 17:00hrs. Cayman Islands oppose Bermuda in the feature clash.