Dawkins comes off bench to resurrect Boyz World Cup campaign
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — The dream remains alive, but it could not have been closer.
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz came from the brink of death to snatch their second-leg home-and-away tie 2-0 and 4-3 on aggregate against Nicaragua here inside the National Football Stadium last night.
Darren Mattocks gave the Boyz the lead in the 13th minute, and as time ran out and the home side tried every trick in the book to waste time, substitute Simon Dawkins popped in the 89th minute to slam home a volley to give his team victory and silence the crowd.
The Boyz have now advanced to the Fourth Round of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying phase where they will join Group B which includes seeded teams Costa Rica, and Panama, as well as the winner of another Third Round tie including Haiti and Grenada. Haiti lead the tie 3-1 after the first leg in Grenada.
The Reggae Boyz were shocked 2-3 inside Kingston’s National Stadium last Friday night against the 139th ranked FIFA team, and only a victory by two clear goals or by one scoring at least four goals would have sufficed.
Jamaica then pressed the hosts and created a number of corners, and it was from one that Mattocks slammed home to give the Reggae Boyz the lead from a Demar Phillips left-sided corner.
Dawkins scored the winner from a corner which resulted in the ball being cleared into his path, and with the expert swing of his left boot, the ball sailed smoothly into the goal, silencing the 20,000 Nicaraguan fans inside the stadium.
— Ian Burnett
