FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – The Reggae Boyz scored a comfortable 2-0 win over Boca Raton FC in a closed-door training match at Lockhart Stadium on Monday.

In their first field activity since their surprise 2-1 triumph over Chile inside Estadio Sausalito in Vina del Mar last Friday, Joel McAnuff and Dever Orgill hit the target in the first half in a game where Clayton Donaldson, Giles Barnes and Kemar Lawrence did not take to the pitch, while Garath McCleary saw only the last 20 minutes as a late replacement for McAnuff.

On the flip side, all locally based players and those who got limited minutes against Chile enjoyed the most playing time.

Head coach Winfried Schaefer selected Andre Blake in goal, backed by Adrian Mariappa and Jermaine Taylor at centre back, flanked by Michael Binns on the left and Je-Vaughn Watson on the right.

At central midfield Lee Williamson and Michael Hector were employed with McAnuff and Allan Ottey in the wide areas. Simon Dawkins and Orgill were the strikers.

McAnuff side-footed home after Dawkins did good work to provide the opening from inside the penalty box.

Then Orgill doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark when he powered between two defenders from the left before driving a right-footed grounder past the goalkeeper.

The Boyz created a few other openings, but indecisive play denied them a wider margin of victory.

At the other end, Boca Raton slipped in-between the Boyz’ backline on two occasions but Taylor recovered well to clear off the line and Blake, who was replaced by Ryan Thompson 10 minutes from the break, denied the other chance.

Dawkins saw only 20 minutes to be replaced by Chevone Marsh, and to start the second half Schaefer withdrew Taylor, Mariappa, Waston, Williamson, and introduced Hector and Damano Solomon at centre back, with Ricardo Morris at left back and Rosario Harriott at right back.

Binns and Andrew Vanzie were deployed at central midfield. While Marsh played out wide right and Ottey on the left. McAnuff played behind Orgill.

DuWayne Kerr went in for Thompson ‎with just over half an hour left, as the Boyz struggled for long periods to exert the same level of possessional dominance they exhibited in the first half.

Still they managed to create more chances, the clearest of which fell to Morris and Orgill, but were wasted.

‎They will be back on the training pitch today and tomorrow, before departing for Chicago on Thursday ahead of the start of their Copa America Centenario campaign against Venezuela on Sunday.

Ian Burnet