TT U-14s humiliateGuyana in CFU Series

ABDUL-QUDDOOS Hypolite produced an inspired performance, with a first-half brace, as Trinidad and Tobago trounced Guyana 8-0 in the opening match of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys’ Under-14 Challenge Series.

This competition is the first real test for the young men emerging from the NLCB Youth Development programme and they looked the part from early in this 70-minute match hosted at the Stadion Ergilio Hato.

Hypolite released Ja-Shawn Thomas on goal in the fifth minute with a deft through-ball but the lanky striker hit straight at Shavid Hernandez in the Guyana goal.

The opening item came three minutes later, courtesy of a cross from Josiah Wilson, which was neatly headed home by Hypolite.

Possession was heavily in favour of the outfit coached by Leonson Lewis (in the absence of Stuart Charles-Fevrier who missed the match due to his daughter’s wedding).

TT had a scare in the 21st minute but, thanks to a timely double save by Tristan Edwards the lead, was preserved. That passage of play seemed to inspire the TT attack who conjured a fluid move which ended with Thomas tucking the ball neatly past Hernandez for goal number two. The third goal closely followed, from a clinical finish by Hypolite.

Molik Khan then got in on the act with another well-taken item to make it 4-0 at the end of the first half.

Nathaniel James resumed the scoring in the second half with what one spectator called “ah big man goal” as he cut in from the left flank and fired into the top right corner as the goalkeeper also looked on in awe. Hernandez was also caught looking at goal number six which came off the boot of captain Jaheim Marshall in the 47th minute.

With this being a development tournament, teams are allowed to use all seven substitutes and coach Lewis began to employ his options. One of those was Joshua Mason who replaced Hypolite in the 49th minute and with his first touch he put the ball in the back of the net for the seventh.

Another substitute, Dantaye Gilbert rounded out the scoring for TT in the 62nd minute. TT will next face Bonaire today, followed by Aruba on Friday and the hosts Curacao on Sunday.