Trinidad and Tobago Girls into Jewels of the Caribbean U17 football final

Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 girls football A team defeated the TT B team 6-0 to sail into the final in the Jewels of the Caribbean Girls Under-17 Invitational tournament at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Sunday.

It was the A team’s second win in as many matches after getting past Grenada 4-1.

The A team looked more formidable from the opening whistle and it took just two minutes for them to break the deadlock through Kimora Mitchell.

Many of the attacks for the A team started with striker J’Eleisha Alexander and the composure of left-back Kaitlyn Darwent and centre back Jasmine McNish kept the B team pinned in their own half.

It was relentless pressure by the A team, but they could not add more goals in the first 20 minutes. Rasheda Archer received a square ball from Alexander, but the B team managed to keep it 1-0.

Around the 25-minute mark, the B team started to keep more possession, but could not create chances on goal.

In the 30th minute, Mitchell’s close range shot was saved by B goal-keeper Zade Castillo, kicking it onto the post.

As time in the first half began to run out, Mitchell’s shot from a tight angle was held by Castillo as the first half ended 1-0 in favour of the A team.

The A team began the second half as they did the first as Alexander’s close-range shot struck the roof of the net to make it 2-0 in the 43rd minute.

A few minutes later it was 3-0 as Cherine Steele’s shot from 20 yards found the net in the 48th minute. It was not powerfully struck, but it was placed perfectly in the corner past Castillo.

Tobagonian Alexander impressed with her neat footwork, dribbling past two defenders but her shot was struck straight to Castillo. B team central midfielder Jayda Herbert showed some energy, but A goal-keeper Maya Figgener remained a bystander.

In the 66th minute, Orielle Martin’s well-struck low shot made it 4-0 and three minutes later, T’Kaiya Dennis scored the A team’s fifth item. B substitute goal-keeper Akiella Marryshow showed her quality by pulling off a couple of solid saves, but she could prevent Martin from rounding off the scoring in stoppage time to make it 6-0.

The first match on Sunday ended in favour of St Vincent and the Grenadines 2-1 over Grenada.

The action will continue on Monday with a doubleheader at Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima. TT B will play Grenada at 1 pm, followed by St Vincent against TT A at 3 pm.

TT A and St Vincent have both made it to Wednesday’s final having won two matches to start the tournament.