PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Jamaica made heavy weather of the Caribbean Football Union Under-23 Championship third-place play-off, taken to extra time before overcoming St Vincent & The Grenadines 3-2 here at the Stade Sylvio Cator yesterday.

The young Reggae Boyz took the lead through Romario Williams in the seventh minute, but allowed St Vincent & The Grenadines to equalise through Chevel Cunningham on the quarter-hour with a gift.

Michael Seaton gave the Boyz the lead a second time on 25 minutes, but somehow the ultra-generous Jamaicans conspired to present their opponents with another gift which was duly accepted via Aolex Anderson in the 53rd minute.

The Boyz dodged a bullet on 65th-minutes when a penalty was awarded, but goalkeeper Amal Knight spared his team any embarrassment when he threw himself to his right to palm away Tevin Slater’s spot kick.

It was left to Seaton, who easily could have scored five or six times, to seal the deal for Jamaica in the 104th minute.

With Nico Campbell, who kept for Jamaica in the game against Cuba on Friday, having returned to his school in the US early yesterday morning, the 20-man squad was further reduced when Andre Lewis and Sean McFarlane were forced out with illness and injury, respectively.

Lewis came down with vomiting and diarrhoea, while McFarlane did not recover from an injured left shoulder sustained in Friday’s game.

On paper, it looked a reasonably simple assignment for a Jamaican team with players who are supposed to be on the brink of national senior selection, but too often glaring flaws were exposed.

Williams opened the scoring after a pass from Paul Wilson, where he turned his marker on the edge of the penalty area before rifling a right-footer past the goalkeeper.

St Vincent & The Grenadines pulled level when Cunningham scored directly from a left-sided corner kick, thanks to an inexplicable play from Jamaica’s Kereem Manning, who side-stepped the ball at his near post, much to the disbelief of his stunned teammates.

Seaton then conspired to miss a number of chances inside the penalty area, even from inside the six-yard box, thus keeping St Vincent & The Grenadines encouraged.

Williams then turned provider for Seaton to tap home from close range and Jamaica appeared as though they would run away with the game, but somehow, an innocuous long ball was picked off by Damion Lowe Lowe skipped by not one, but two opponents, but his overindulgence saw him losing the ball which ricocheted to his centre back partner Andre Morrison, who also tried to dribble past opponents, only to lose possession of the ball.

St Vincent & The Grenadines did not need another invitation as the ball was quickly centred from the left to an unmarked Anderson to tap home.

The Boyz should have regained the lead shortly after when Wilson cut the ball back for Seaton, only for the striker to see his effort rebound from the right upright.

And even in time added, Williams, who appeared woefully short of match fitness, found a way to miss the target from midway the six-yard box.

Probably a loss would have awakened these Boyz, and more importantly the nation to the realities of the game at home, but as fate would have it, Seaton was on hand to poke home after the tireless Wilson released him approaching the half-time break in extra time.

Even then the Boyz were far from convincing as their immaturity was there for all to see.

At press time Haiti and Cuba, who have already advanced to the CONCACAF Final Round as Caribbean representatives, were locked at 0-0 in the Championship match.

TEAMS:

Jamaica — Amal Monte Knight, Kereem Manning, Andre Morrison, Damion Lowe, Brandon Anderson, Paul Wilson, Omar Holness, Vishinul Harris (Patrick Haddad Khouri 60th), Junior Flemmings (Cordel Benbow 72nd, Rodian Jennings 87th), Michael Seaton, Romario Williams.

Booked: Holness (104th)

Subs not used: Joel Johnson, Kevaughn Frater, Ricardo Oldham

St Vincent & The Grenadines — Christopher Lemus, Danrouy Edwards, Jahvid Sutherland (Kevin Francis 41st), Nazir McBarnette, Akeem Williams, Aolex Anderson (Brad Miguel 74th), Azinho Solomon, Tevin Slater (Dennis Prescott 86th), Chevel Cunningham, Nazron Hoyte, Vasbert Ledger

Booked: McBarnette (8th), Anderson (63rd), Slater (75th)

Subs not used: Kevan Henry, Sylvanus Baptiste, Tyrone Tannis, Joseph Douglas, Deno John, Kyle Edwards

Referee: Adrian Skeete (Barbados)

Assistants: Venton Mars (Guyana), Graeme Browne (St Kitts & Nevis)

Fourth Official: Kimbell Ward (St Kitts & Nevis)

Match Commissary: Patrick Beckles (Barbados)