PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC) — A stoppage-time penalty from goalkeeper Ronny Aloema allowed hosts Suriname to prevail over Netherlands Antilles 2-1, when Group C of the Digicel Caribbean Cup kicked off in dramatic fashion on Wednesday.

This followed the opening match of a double-header in which Guyana used an early first-half goal from Christopher Bourne to topple St Lucia 1-0 at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium.

Group matches continue today where Suriname are down to face St Lucia in the feature game, while Guyana will meet the Netherlands Antilles in the opener at the same venue.

The feature match was decided, however, when nippy Surinamese forward Ives Vlijter ran at the Dutch Antilles defence on the right side of the penalty area, and suffered a rash tackle, leaving the referee to award a penalty.

Aloema was tasked with the responsibility and managed to hold his nerve to strike a powerful effort past his opposite number.

Both sides had staged wave after wave of attack on each other’s goal in the first half, but Suriname made the breakthrough after 37 minutes when Emelio Limon slid a defence-splitting pass through to Vlijter, whose rasping shot was perfect.

Vlijter’s strike stood until the last 10 minutes of the match, after the Surinamese imposed their will in the match, but failed to make the most of a number of chances.

Marlon Felter fired over the crossbar, Wensley Christoph went wide of the mark, and Vlijter shot wide of the post in a one-on-one with the Dutch Antilles’ goalkeeper Marcellos Pisas.

The Netherlands Antilles, however, absorbed the pressure and drew level from a goalmouth melee in the 81st minute, when Lacey Pauletta got the final touch from a left-sided corner-kick before their defence gave the match away.

Earlier, a beautiful, curling, 25-yard free-kick from Bourne, after only nine minutes, was a fitting way to begin Group C.

St Lucian goalkeeper Iran Cassius appeared glued to the ground and appeared surprised that the shot managed to clear the wall.

The Guyanese looked a compact unit as they showed plenty of patience in their build-up play and managed to maintain possession for long periods.