MONTEGO BAY, St James — Group D favourite Honduras had to come from behind to beat unfancied Barbados, 2-1, in their CONCACAF Under-17 Championship match at the Montego Bay Sports Complex yesterday.

Goals by Bryan Rochez and Eder Velasquez in the 69th and 89th minutes pushed Honduras to the top of the three-team group with three points.

Barbados took a 16th-minute lead courtesy of Zari Prescod, but with an upset looking very much on the cards, the boys from the land of flying fish faltered in the end.

Barbados are set to play Canada tomorrow in what will be a must-win game for the Caribbean team and their coach Kenville Layne was visibly disappointed.

Said Layne: “Our job is a lot harder now; we must win the next game. It is not over yet. I will try and motivate them and let them know that it is not over yet.”

He added: “No one likes to lose. Our objective was to qualify for the next round. We’re disappointed, but as coach I can’t show that to the players right now. They have to believe that it is not over yet.”

Meanwhile, Honduran coach Israel Canales was just happy to escape with maximum points in what he deemed a poor display from his boys.

Said Canales: “We underestimated Barbados so we will have to keep our feet on the ground. I didn’t like our attitude and our football will have to improve.”

He added: “The team was average and we missed a lot of chances, but we have four days to prepare for the next match.”

The game started in front of a small gathering of schoolchildren in the bleachers stand and approximately 100 fans in the grandstand, and to the delight of most of the spectators, the Caribbean team took a surprise lead.

The lanky Prescod, who terrorised the Hondurans all evening, fired home from just inside the box.

Four minutes later, Diquan Adamson should have doubled Barbados’ advantage but kicked straight at goalkeeper Roberto Lopez.

A minute later, Barbados almost paid for that missed opportunity as Honduras’ Bryan Rochez saw his shot beat the goalkeeper, but was cleared off the line.

David Carranza then beat the Bajans offside trap, but kicked straight at goalkeeper Joshua Hyam in the 29th.

A minute later, Nunez missed a glorious chance to level the score after dismissing his marker skilfully but skied his shot from just inside the box on the half-hour mark.

But Barbados were hitting on the counter and the ever-dangerous Prescod was a torn in the Central American team, getting by his marker with pace and, along with Jabarry Chandler and Adamson, split open the Honduran backline twice in the dying moments of the first half, but failed to convert for a comfortable lead at the interval.

Those misses were to haunt the Bajans later as Prescod was substituted in the 62nd minute because of injury and Honduras came back roaring to secure victory.

Nunez tied the game in the 69th, firing home from just inside the box then Velasquez broke Bajan hearts by heading home in the 89th for a crucial win.