Trinidad and Tobago U-20 women crush Dominica 5-0

Hosts Trinidad and Tobago got off to a flying start in the First Citizens "Jewels of the Caribbean" Women's Under-20 tournament on December 15 when their "Red Angels" team got a resounding 5-0 win against Dominica at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.

The Ayana Russell-coached team dominated the 70-minute affair in the second game of a double-header, with Bishop Anstey High School East star Orielle Martin stealing the show with a sterling beaver-trick.

Martin, who has been capped at the senior level, showed her experience up top and was a constant threat to the Dominican defence – particularly in tandem with flanker Nikita Gosine.

As early as the fifth minute, the hosts fired a warning shot when Rori Gittens hit the post with a rasping shot from a tight angle. In the 12th minute, Martin had one of her first meetings with Dominican goalkeeper Diamond Daniel after being played through on goal. Daniel just won that battle, but Martin had things her own way thereafter.

In the 14th minute, Martin opened the scoring when she snuck a left-footed shot under Daniel after working a nice one-two down the right with Gosine.

As TT charged forward for the second goal, Daniel proved a formidable force in the Dominican goal with a string of excellent saves. The upright also came to Daniel’s rescue when she appeared beaten.

Gittens, Rasheda Archer and Kanika Rodriguez were among the players thwarted by Daniel as TT were momentarily kept at bay.

In the 35th minute, Dominica’s defence was easily breached when Martin got in behind from a deep free kick to calmly pass the ball into the net.

After the halftime interval, the Martin show continued in the 37th minute when she slotted a penalty into the net after being upended in the area.

Four minutes later, Martin arguably scored the goal of the game when she rifled a right-footed shot into the top corner from just inside the area after leaving her defender for dead with a delightful turn.

Even in cruise control, TT still managed to hit the post two more times in the contest, with both Martin and T’kayai Dennis banging efforts off the upright.

Dennis still had her best left in reserve, though, and she scored TT’s fifth and final goal in the 65th minute when she hammered a right-footed shot into the roof of the net after receiving a square pass from Jayda Herbert at the end of a deadly counter.

TT are fielding two teams in the competition, and their “White Angels” team will kickstart their tourney on Monday when they face St Vincent and the Grenadines from 7 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

In the first game of the double-header on Sunday, Jamaica and SVG played to a 1-1 draw.