Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Sunday | November 22, 2009
Home : Sport
Girlz, T&T advance to CONCACAF tourney
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC): Jamaica's Reggae Girlz and hosts Trinidad & Tobago earned contrasting wins in the Caribbean Football Union Women's Under-20 tournament on Friday, to qualify for next year's CONCACAF final-round tournament in Guatemala.

Playing at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Jamaica blanked St Kitts and Nevis 2-0 while T&T survived several anxious moments before getting past Cuba 2-1 in the night's feature game.

unbeaten

Both teams, still unbeaten, will contest top honours in the tournament when they clash in final series of matches at the same venue today.

Jamaica were always in control of their contest as Kemesha Woodfine scored in the third minute and substitute Semone Honeghan wrapped up full points with another strike in the 71st.

T&T, meanwhile, took the lead through captain Mariah Shade in the seventh minute and then doubled their advantage through Karissa Rodney three minutes later as the home side blitzed two goals in 10 minutes.

interesting finish

Yezenia Martinez answered for the Cubans six minutes before half-time to set up an interesting finish but T&T held on to win the contest.

Jamaica stunned St Kitts early when Woodfine poked home a loose ball from close range following a Jamila Campbell-Henny cross. Both sides then squandered half chances as the game turned into a story of spurned opportunities.

Leading 1-0 at the break, Jamaica were frustrated on resumption by the stubborn St Kitts defence before they could add to their lead. The goal finally came when Honeghan headed home Woodfine's cross.

T&T also got early goals in their contest before Cuba hit back. Kayla Taylor picked out Shade in the seventh minute to open the scoring before the England-based Karissa Rodney lobbed Cuban goalkeeper Katherine Hidalgo with a well-timed shot minutes later.

defensive mix-up

To their credit, Cuba's heads never dropped and they responded minutes before the half-time break when Martinez capitalised on a defensive mix-up to haul her side back into the game.

T&T then battled through the second half, managing to blunt Cuba's attack and squeeze full points from the match.

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