Wayne Dover, Golden Jaguars Interim Head-Coach said yesterday that while he was disappointed with the agonizing 1-0 loss to Grenada, several positive signs can be identified from the International Friendly.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports following the team’s return Dover declared: “I was very disappointed with the result especially that we conceded so late, but I can take away some positives from the game. Given our previous game against Martinique where we did not demonstrate the level of patience with the ball, in this particular game, we have improved in that department where we kept the ball for longer periods.”
He added: “However, possession has to end with penetration and penetration has to end in goal scoring conversions. The fact that we possessed well and that is a plus, the disappointment was the lack of penetration which resulted in us not creating as many chances given the lopsided possession.”
Guyana’s poor international record against Grenada continued on October 7th, as they went down 0-1 in an International Friendly at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium in St. James, Grenada.
Substitute Saydrel Lewis found the back of the net in the 90th minute to relegate the Guyanese to their overall 10th defeat against the Grenadians and the fifth in the last six meetings.
Asked if the period of preparation was adequate, Dover said, “I think the preparation as adequate. We brought in a number of players who were in season, which gave us an opportunity to work with them specifically on the tactical aspect of the game. We did everything in the preparation to get the result. Unfortunately, we did not execute in the final third.”
According to the former Alpha United coach, “The situation with regards to the number of local players [five were in the team of 18 players] stems from the fact that the season has not restarted in Guyana. That is why the federation was hard-pressed to get the local players involved in a training programme to give them the best possible chance for selection to the team.”
Quizzed about the differences between the local and overseas-based contingent, Dover said, “From a standpoint of being prepared and game ready, that in of itself is where the difference lies. If we had gone for a local-based squad, despite their being no shortage of talent, they would have been a shortage of game readiness. They lacked the game time basically.”
Speaking on the error from rising Fruta Conquerors star Jeremy Garrett that led to the Grenadians scoring in the dying moments, Dover said, “We are all imperfect people, that is to say, we will make mistakes. Unfortunately on the day in question, a mistake was made which resulted in a goal. From the mistake, it has shown that consistent playing time for these young players is much needed and in these instances where they will have trials and errors, is ideal for them to grow in the game and become experienced.
“As the coach I will not pin any blame on the lad, and I will give every support possible for him to bounce back and continue on his journey that has a bright future,” he added.
