A Guyana team last Sunday whipped an Antigua and Barbuda team 5-0 at the Thomas Jefferson High School Playfield in Brooklyn New York, as the Digicel Caribbean Cup football tournament continued.
Despite the absence of star players Dwight Peters,
Dwain Jacobs and goalkeeper Ronson Williams who left for Alpha United’s return game against Herediano today in their CONCACAF Champions League clash, the Guyanese still managed to run out comfortable winners.
They found another star player in Kevin Beaton who netted a double which made him the tournament’s leading goal scorer so far with six goals.
Devon Millington who did everything right except scoring plenty goals.
With a vociferous crowd behind them, Guyana came out looking sharp as they passed the ball fluently around the opposition.
Guyana’s Devon Millington had a very good all-round game although he only scored once.
He did, however, manage to set up Clive Nobrega for Guyana’s opening goal and Jermaine Scott for the second goal.
Scott and Antigua/Barbuda’s Andrew Smith were both red carded for aggressive play at centre field as Guyana ended the first half leading 2- 0.
Antigua/Barbuda’s attempts to score in the second half were thwarted by Guyana’s solid defence led by Howard Lowe and Abassi McPherson.
Lowe and McPherson formed a ‘two-man’ brick wall at the back while up front Beaton and Millington continued to torment the Antiguan defenders.
Beaton scored again when collected a pass from Midfield, sent by Kanata Manning and broke down the middle and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper whom he beat with a low flat shot to his left, as Guyana extended their lead.
The Bakewell Topp XX and junior national striker then scored his
second this time thanks to Millington who did all the work leaving Beaton to tap into an open goal.
Millington’s hard work would pay off when he would finally find the back of the net, scoring Guyana’s final goal of the game.
It was the first time in the tournament’s 20-year history that Guyana has topped their group.
After the game, Guyana’s coach Samuel Bumbury expressed his joy at the convincing win but said that his side will now have to focus a bit more on their defensive tactics and execution.
Guyana has played five games so far in the tournament; drawing 0-0 with Columbia and Grenada while defeating St Lucia 3 -0 and St Kitts and Nevis 6 -0.
Millington and Grenada’s Joel Ford are the second highest goal scorers with four goals each.
