Fitting Birthday gift
• Gray opens Reggae Boyz’ account with Gold Cup brace• ‘Whisper’ gets on to the scoresheet
Published:Thursday | June 29, 2023 | 1:35 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
WINGER DEMARAI Gray scored a brace as Jamaica toppled Trinidad and Tobago from the top of Group A with a 4-1 drubbing over their Caribbean rivals in the Concacaf Gold Cup yesterday.
Jamaica’s big three of Leon Bailey, Michail Antonio, and Gray all came to the party to give coach Heimir Hallgrimsson his first win. The Jamaicans join the United States on four points but are second on goal difference, while Trinidad and Tobago fall to third.
Gray scored in the 14th and 29th minutes to top off celebrations of his 27th birthday. Under-pressure Leon Bailey, who produced one of his best performances in a Reggae Boy shirt, had a goal in the 17th minute.
Andre Pampersad pulled one back for Trinidad four minutes after the interval. However, Jamaican wonder kid, Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards, on his Gold Cup debut, added the fourth in added timed.
The Boyz signalled their intentions from early when Antonio played in Bobby Reid, but the Fulham man put his effort wide from seven yards out.
14TH MINUTE GOAL
However, they broke the deadlock in the 14th minute when Bailey set up Gray, who slotted home the opener.
Three minutes later, Bailey, the Aston Villa winger who faced a barrage of criticism after his penalty miss against the USA on Saturday, broke the offside trap and fired past Nicklas Frenderup in goal.
The Jamaicans settled into the game and dictated the tempo after going 2-0 up, and in the 29th minute, Kevon Lambert stole possession and played in Antonio, who eluded his marker before putting the ball on a platter for Gray to get his second.
Trinidad threw themselves a lifeline four minutes after the break when Levi Garcia eluded Dexter Lembikisa down the right and centred for Rampersad to turn home cheekily from five yards.
Moments later, Bailey wasted a great opportunity to restore Jamaica’s two-goal advantage even though there was a suspicion of offside in the build-up.
Shamar Nicholson also came close in the 65th, but Frenderup parried his effort just wide before Bailey steered another great chance wide of the mark as Jamaica re-established their dominance after a brief spell from the Soca Warriors.
Both teams had their moments in a frantic finish, but at the end, Richards’ deflected shot restored the Jamaicans’ three-goal lead.