Reggae Boyz blank Antigua & Barbuda 2-0

Jamaica's senior men's football team defeated Antigua and Barbuda 2-0 in a friendly international match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, last night.

The Reggae Boyz got their goals through Peter-Lee Vassell and Fabian Reid.

There was not a lot of action in the opening minutes of the game, and the first play of note came in the 28th, with midfielder Jamiel Hardware hitting a shot from the edge of the area, which was parried by Antigua and Barbuda goalkeeper Brentton Mohammed. Chevone Marsh followed up with a shot but was flagged offside.

Antigua and Barbuda, led by Peter Byers and Tamorley Thomas, had a few breaks forward but lacked incision in the final third.

Jamaica took the lead in the 43rd minute, when Hardware skipped around the Antigua and Barbuda defenders and played a ball across the box for Vassell to tap the ball into the net.

The Reggae Boyz kept control of the game and should have doubled their lead in the 56th minute. Young right back Javain Brown dribbled down the right side and played a ball on the floor across the Antigua and Barbuda box. But Fabian Reid, with an open net, put it wide. Reid redeemed himself a minute later by latching onto a long ball downfield and chipping goalkeeper Mohammed to double the score.

Alex Marshall hit a shot from the edge of the area in the 60th minute but struck the post. A minute later, Ricardo Morris forced Mohammed to turn his shot from distance behind for a corner.

STRAIGHT RED

The Benna Boys finished the game with 10 men after their defender Vashami Allen was shown a straight red card in the 77th minute for his lunge on Ladale Richie. Allen dived in from behind with his studs showing, leaving Vincentian referee Moeth Gaymes with little choice but to send him off.

From there, Antigua and Barbuda pulled back, and the Jamaicans were content to play out the remainder of the game and give Jerome Waite the win.

Waite, normally an assistant coach to Theodore Whitmore, took charge of the team on the night, with Donovan Duckie as his assistant. This was because Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts had an agreement with Waite to take charge of the team after Whitmore had submitted a letter of resignation last month. However, despite Whitmore and the JFF resolving their issues regarding his contract, Waite's agreement to lead the team from the touchline stood.