SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic — Reggae Girlz Coach Hue Menzies was generally pleased with the team’s command performance against the Dominican Republic in their CFU Group Three Rio Olympic qualifying game at the Estadio Panamericano here on Sunday.

In the comfortable 6-0 win, the coach was particularly happy with the role of his three substitutes — Tashana Vincent, Shanise Foster and Chinyelu Asher — who, he claims, kept a good rhythm going.

Both Vincent (78th minute) and Foster (88th) scored goals, adding to the well-taken braces from Khadijah Shaw (21st and 64th) and Venicia Reid (32nd and 69th).

“I was very satisfied with the girls who came in as they kept the momentum of the game, so it was good to see that everybody contributed,” said Menzies.

The coach could not hide his disappointment with the first-half display, but saluted the Girlz for upping the tempo after emerging from the locker room for the second spell.

“We wanted to have a better start in the first half, and we made some adjustments in the second half and the kids responded, and we got those two early goals in that half and we took the game away (from them),” Menzies told the Jamaica Observer.

“As the game went on I think our forwards got more involved. The midfielders, I think, were too stretched at times, but in the second half we came more compressed and we attacked more as a team,” he noted.

The Jamaicans went to the half-time break leading the contest against the hosts 2-0 after spurning numerous opportunities to have widened the gap, but in the second period they seemed to have found the range on goal.

“The outside backs started to come forward more, which gave us that additional player involved in the offence, so at this point things started to come together as we started to attack and defend more as a group,” Menzies noted.

New skipper, the USA-based Christine Exeter, said while she was delighted with the three points that propelled her team into a strong position to go forward, she is of the view that the best is yet to come.

“I think overall we did well as we are just getting to know each other, but I think we didn’t play to our standard as I thought we lowered it to the competition,” she noted.

“Not knowing each other that well, I think in cases we just did stuff, like just playing the ball somewhere knowing that a player is going to be there, and that’s the kind of trust and confidence we have in our team. But overall the effort was there, but, I think we are capable of doing a lot better,” Exeter added.

In her analysis of the game, the Reggae Girlz debutant was particularly impressed with the defence line of Konya Plummer and Alika Keene in the centre, flanked competently by Asleigh Shim on the right and Monique Pryce operating on the other side.

“I think defensively we have got a lot better, as I think we have more of a leadership in the back as everyone is fighting for the ball… I think Konya had an exceptional game today (Sunday) running for every ball and just holding the backline together, but still there is some improvements to be made,” said Exeter, who is a graduate assistant coach at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Further up the field, the rookie international captain showered praise on a few individuals.

“In the midfield, I think Bunny (Khadija Shaw) stepped up in that aspect, but the forwards together could have scored a lot more goals, myself included. DK (Donna-Kay Henry) she came in and did an exceptional job, and she was probably the best forward for us although she didn’t score,” Exeter noted.

Having four scorers on the day, the 22-year-old reasoned, speaks volumes to the attacking potential of the team.

“It’s a plus for sure and that can be the strength of a team when you have multiple people scoring, and I still think we have a lot more people who can score as well and a lot of teams won’t find it easy to handle us because of that,” Exeter closed.

With the defeat, the Dominican Republic, who won their first game 8-0 against Dominica on Friday, are in real danger of not progressing to the final round of the CFU qualifiers. Only the winners of each of the four groups are guaranteed to progress.

TEAMS: Dominican Republic — Isairis Minaya, Carmen Polanco, Denny Vargas, Franyeli Vargas, Fiodaliza Claudio, Gabriela Pena (Joeli Balbuena 67th), Yaritza Nunez (Daphne Heyaime 45th), Loida Michel (Paloma Perez 69th), Yaqueisi Nunez, Betzaida Ubri, Winiban Peralta.

Subs not used: Marcel Peralta, Eskarline Chalas, Maria Lopez, Mayelin Manzanillo, Claudio Garcia.

Booked: None

Coach: Rufino Sotolongo

Jamaica — Nicole McClure, Monique Pryce, Alika Keene, Konya Plummer, Ashleigh Shim, Venicia Reid, Christine Exeter (Tashana Vincent 76th), Christina Murray (Chinyelu Asher 67th), Khadija Shaw, Donna-Kay Henry (Shanise Foster57th), Kai-Lin Hernandez.

Subs not used: Taylor Grant, Natasha Douglas

Booked: None

Coach: Hue Menzies

Referee: Maurees Skeete (Guyana)

Assistant Referees: Nereida Diaz (Cuba), Katherine Jimenez (Costa Rica)

Fourth Official: Yenelis Chavez (Cuba)

Match Commissioner: Natasha Hinkson (Trinidad)

— Sean Williams