Damion Stewart of Jamaica (left) shields the ball from Alain Cervantez Ofarri of Cuba during their Digicel Caribbean Cup football match at the National Stadium in Barbados yesterday. Jamaica won the game, 1-0 to capture the trophy. (Photo: AP)

Bridgetown, Barbados -Teenaged striker Luton Shelton hit an early second-half goal to lead Jamaica to the 2005 Digicel Caribbean Cup after downing Cuba, 1-0, here at the National Stadium last night.

The Harbour View striker pounced on a long ball played out of defence by Jermaine Taylor before poking past the advancing goalkeeper Odelin Molina Hernandez on 48 minutes.

The victory gave Jamaica their third Caribbean title, following successes in 1991 and 1998. The team also copped the first prize of US$100,000.

The Cubans, who like Jamaica, had already qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States in July, took home US$50,000 for finishing second.

Though playing second fiddle to the slick-passing Cubans, especially in midfield, the Reggae Boyz were fairly comfortable in defence, with Taylor, Damion Stewart and Tyrone Sawyers looking solid.

The Cubans were smarter on the ball in the early stages - neatly spreading the ball across the field from side to side - and went mighty close to taking the lead on 23 minutes, when Maykel Castallenada just failed to redirect a right-sided cross at the far post.

The Boyz countered and created a decent opening for themselves, only for Omar Daley to hesitate inside the penalty area and lose the opportunity to shoot a goal.

The Cubans threw everything into attack in an effort to equalise, but the Jamaica defence kept them at bay, and in time added on, national Under-20 captain Taylor, who had a good game, executed what turned out to be a US$100,000 block to deny a rasping shot from just outside the six-yard box.

In the second game to decide the third team to advance to the Gold Cup, Trinidad & Tobago defeated Barbados, 3-2.

Jamaica - Shawn Sawyers, Jermaine Taylor, Damion Stewart, Tyrone Sawyers, Fabian Davis, Robert Scarlett, Omar Daley, Jermaine Hue (Khari Stephenson 54th), Andy Williams, Luton Shelton (Teofore Bennettt 88th), Newton Sterling (Roland Dean 72nd)

Booked: Davis (30th), Daley (49th)

Subs not used: L Murray, K Kelly

Cuba - Odelin Molina Hernandez, Silvio Minozo, Yanier Molina, Mario Abreu, Alain Ofarril (Jorge Rondon 70th), Lester More (Reinier Nunes 70th), Maykel Castallenada, Jaime Valencia, Gisbel Izaguirre, Reysandry Fernadez, Pedro Fernandez (Disney Robert 56th)

Booked: Valencia (92nd), Rondon (92nd)

Subs not used: J Zamoro, A Rojas, L Caraballozo, M Guerrero

Referee: Neal Brizan (T&T)

Assistants: Joseph Taylor (T&T), Winston Goodridge (B'dos)

Fourth Official: Barney Callender (B'dos)

Match Commissary: Patrick John (Dominica)

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