AS was expected, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago made light work of opponents Grenada and Anguilla, respectively, to make a winning start in their Caribbean Football Union Women’s Under-20 Championship at Drewsland on Friday.

Cuba were the first to make their mark in the first encounter of a double-header by overrunning Grenada 7-2 in a one-sided affair, while Trinidad and Tobago eased past Anguilla 3-0.

Ollancy Arrebato Gainza led the scoring deluge for Cuba with three goals– 17th, 54th, 68th; Roxana Galan Goicochea 24th; Yoanna Calderon Gonzanez 22nd; Aidachi Milan Marrero 81st and Taide Bacalloa Aguilar 87th. Grenada were consoled with a double strike from Cherise Hood in the 31st and 33rd minutes.

Trinidad and Tobago, in the feature game, were themselves profligate while scoring only three goals against a team whom they had earlier beaten 11-0.

However, on this occasion, the Anguillan young ladies gave a more determined display that forced the Trinis to fight for their victory with the first goal surprisingly taking all of 33 minutes before the deadlock was broken through Shanisa Camejo. Patrice Campbell then eased Trinidad and Tobago’s anxiety with a goal in minute 42 to go to the break a little more comfortably, leading 2-0.

Feeling that they are still not out of the woods, the Trinidad and Tobago girls returned for the final session picking up the tempo from where they left off in the first half, and three minutes on they increased their advantage when skipper Anique Walker fired in from close up.

The early set was an aberration for the Anguillans, who themselves returned for the final session just as determined as their rivals. And, from the 48th minute on, Trinidad and Tobago could not score another goal as the British protectorate played with great resilience to limit the scoring efforts of their better talent-based Caribbean neighbours to a single goal in the second half.

It was not for the wants of trying that the girls from the twin-island Republic did not score. Far from it. Anguilla were just too good defensively for the ultra-attacking Trini girls who were forced in the end to accept the final result with a mere three-goal victory.