Trinidad and Tobago crush Bahamas 3-0 in Nations League

Trinidad and Tobago thumped Bahamas 3-0 on Friday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, Bahamas, to reach one step closer to their goals in the Concacaf Nations League.

TT took just five minutes to assert their superiority over a team that has caused them some consternation in the recent past. Two years ago, at the same venue, Bahamas ended TT's 2022 World Cup hopes with a 0-0 draw that saw former coach Terry Fenwick fired.

Now led by coach Angus Eve, TT are eyeing promotion to League A of the Nations League and a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Victory on Monday against Nicaragua, at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago, will see Eve's troops achieve those objectives.

Midifielder Kareem Moses rifled TT ahead early with a a 25-yard strike that flew past the despairing dive of goalie Ian Lowe in the fifth minute.

The hosts had a golden chance to level the scores but Christopher Rahming could not direct his header on target after a perfect right-sided cross from Quinton Carey.

TT forward Rundell Winchester, in just his fifth national appearance in ten years, was fed through on goal by the lively Kaile Auvray but he took too long to shoot and the danger was snuffed out.

TT began to settle into possession, using goalie Nicklas Frenderup as an outlet regularly to retain the ball when pressured.

Skipper Joevin Jones made it 2-0 in the 26th with a simple finish from the penalty spot after Ryan Telfer surged down the right and squared the ball into his path.

Telfer turned from provider to finisher, drilling a low left-footed strike into the net in the 34th after receiving a pass that beat the offside trap.

Bahamas could have pulled one back before the half when forward Omari Bain received the ball around the six-yard box, but he took too long to sort out his feet and the TT defence cleared the ball.

It was more of the same in the second period with Bahamas creating few chances to trouble Frenderup.

Auvray, who was creating havoc down the left, thought he had earned a penalty when he was brought to the ground after blowing past his marker, but Jamaican referee Oshane Nation waved play on.

Telfer was proving a handful for Bahamas as well on the opposite flank, and earned a freekick in the 69th with another direct run.

Auvray, 18, in just his third cap since switching allegiance from St Martin to TT, showed he's also a dead-ball threat with a right-footed effort that crashed against the crossbar. Moses was the first to react and headed into the empty net but the linesman cut short celebrations with his flag. Replays however, showed Moses may have been in a legal position.

In the 73rd, after some quick short passing by TT around the top of the Bahamas box, Telfer curled a left-footer that was rejected by the left post.

A Jones production almost made it 4-0 in the 85th, but Joevin could not direct his brother Alvin's cross into the net.

Joevin again failed to hit the target, in the 90th, after substitute Marcus Joseph's flick-on header sent him through unchallenged on goal.

Despite the profligacy in the second half, coach Eve would be pleased by the overall performance and looking forward to sterner tests on Monday.