CFU Caribbean Cup: Reggae Boyz defeat Guyana 4-2
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Jamaica were forced into extra time before conjuring up two goals to beat Guyana 4-2 in their Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016 Round Three game inside the National Track and Field Facility Leonora here a short while ago.
Theodore Whitmore’s Reggae Boyz were rocked early on by a pair of goals by Adrian Butters in minutes seven and 29 forcing the former Reggae Boyz star player to effect changes which brought the Jamaicans back into the game.
Whitmore withdrew Michael Binns and Oniel Fisher within 10 minutes of the second half and replaced them with Dino Williams and Owayne Gordon and shortly after captain Je-Vaughn Watson poked home to half the deficit in the 63rd minute.
Cory Burke was tripped up in the 76th minute but Shaun Francis could not beat goalkeeper Kai McKenzie-Lyle from 12 yards, and it was left to Dicoy Williams to float home an equaliser two minutes from full time.
In extra time Shaun Francis put the Jamaicans ahead in the 115th minute and Burke made the result safe at the death.
Jamaica are drawn in a group with Guyana and Suriname, who defeated Guyana 3-2 in extra time on Saturday in Suriname. These games are played to finish, which means that there has to be a winner at the end of regulation time or extra time will be employed.
The winners of each of the four groups from Round Three qualify for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup as well as the Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup Final slated for next June 22-25.
The three best second-placed teams will qualify for the fifth-placed CFU play-offs. The winner of the CFU play-off will contest the fifth CONCACAF Gold Cup spot, which pits together the fifth-placed CFU team vs the fifth-placed UNCAF team.
Ian Burnett