RIVIÈRE-PILOTE, Martinique, CMC – Jamaica secured a berth in the semi-finals of the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals with a comfortable 2-0 win over Guadeloupe on Monday night.
Playing at the Stade de Riviere Pilote, the Reggae Boyz dismissed the French side to move to the top of Group I with six points from two matches.
After a goal-less first half, Shaun Francis put Jamaican ahead in the 53rd minute and Ryan Johnson then sealed victory when he scored in the third minute of stoppage time.
In the earlier fixture of the doubleheader, Antigua grabbed their first points of the competition when they beat Guyana 1-0. Antigua’s victory came through Gayson Gregory’s fortuitous strike when he blasted a shot from 25 yards out, and it took a slight deflection through a sea of defenders en route to its mark.
They are now second in the standings on three points with a game left to be played against Guadeloupe today.
Playing in the feature game of the night, the Reggae Boyz pressed from the outset and almost went ahead in the early minutes when Dane Richards’ long range shot had to be saved by goalkeeper Yohann Bus.
Guadeloupe found themselves outplayed and managed the first serious attempt on goal when Ludovic Gotin sent his shot wide from eight yards out.
Seven minutes after half-time, the French side should have snatched the lead when Dominique Mocka played a delightful pass behind the Jamaican defence only for Stephane Auvray to send his diving header just wide.
This sprung Jamaica into action and they scored in the very next minute. Richards, an every present threat in the Guadeloupe defence, lifted a superb cross in the area which Francis headed home.
Jamaica could have put the game to bed in the 62nd minute when Richards set up Luton Shelton who amazingly missed from five yards out.
Ryan Johnson, a 65th minute, missed another chance in the 88th before compensating with a clinical strike five minutes later.
