FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique — Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz remained on course to defend their Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup title with a 4-2 penalty win over French Guiana at the Stade Pierre Aliker, here last night.

Both teams had played to a hard-fought 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time.

Loic Baal had given the French-speaking team the lead in the 21st minute, while veteran Jermaine Johnson got his second consecutive goal since his return to the national set-up, bringing Jamaica back into contention with a strike in the 70th minute.

In the penalty shootout, the first Jamaican kicker Michael Binns missed the target altogether, but Owayne Gordon, Shamar Nicholson, Oneil Fisher and Cory Burke made no mistakes from the 12-yard mark.

Scoring for French Guiana were Cedric Fabien and Thomas Issorat, while Jean-David LeGrand was denied by a brilliant save by Dwayne Miller and Rhudy Evens missed the frame.

Jamaica will now await the winner of the late kick-off between Dutch-speaking Curacao and hosts Martinique for Sunday’s final. At press time both teams were goalless.

The Boyz had gone down to 10 players in the third minute of extra time when defender Ladale Richie was given a straight red. Jamaica also had coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore expelled for a touchline infringement.

On the field of play, French Guiana announced themselves in the 10th minute as an offensive threat when Kevin Rimane’s inswinging corner forced goalkeeper Miller into a back-pedalling one-handed save, conceding a corner in the process.

Up to this point Jamaica were keeping and moving the ball around, but they did so more in their half, rather than the business end of the pitch.

In minute 15, a chance opened up for Jamaica down the right-side as Jermaine Johnson ran onto a ball that bounced fortuitously for him, but he opted for a cutback intended for Junior Flemmings instead of charging into the box.

Two minutes later French Guiana tested the Jamaica goal when Rimane’s free-kick from 25 yards skimmed the Jamaican goal on its way over.

And the French territory went ahead in the 21st minute when Loic Baal’s looping and curling shot took a slight deflection to beat Miller diving to his left. But the Jamaican defence should stand trial for not mopping up when it was their duty to do so as their opponents attacked down the middle.

A minute later, the French-speaking nation unnerved the Boyz’ defence once again when the former France and Chelsea star Florent Malouda got into space down his favourite left channel, but Miller, in his first match for Jamaica in two years, was down early to smother.

In the early going, each time their opponents came forward, the Jamaican defenders lacked a coordinated response and presented a sense of vulnerability.

But the backline seemed to improve in the latter stages when new pressure came their way.

In the 49th minute Jamaica forced the first real save out of the French Guiana goalkeeper Donovan Leon when Michael Binns’ corner was headed on by Ladale Richie to Kevon Lambert, who followed through with his header forcing the ‘keeper to tip over for a corner.

And from the resulting kick, Sergio Campbell got his header on target, but this time Leon got behind the ball.

Johnson, the recognised veteran of the team, looked on course to get the equaliser when he pedalled forward responding to a deep ball from midfield, but his low, well-directed shot lacked the requisite pace to beat the commanding Leon.

It was another nervous moment in the 59th minute when custodian Miller spilled a low ball in, but a Jamaican boot arrived on time to get the ball away.

The Boyz, who had found an extra gear and were possessing the ball more in their opponents’ half, found the equaliser in the 70th minute when Johnson timed his run to perfection to side foot home substitute Ricardo Morris’s quick ball in from the right.

Another sub, Owayne Gordon, in minute 75, used a bit of pace and individual skill to purchase a path into the box, but his final shot was saved by Leon.

At the beginning of the first period of extra time, Jamaica suffered a body blow when they lost central defender Ladale Richie via the red card route when he pulled back a runaway Arnold Abelinti in the semi-circle.

In the 99th minute French Guiana swarmed forward, but Malouda’s right-footed grass cutter did just that as it cut a path across Miller’s goal.

A minute later, the former Olympique Lyon stand-out dribbled across the face of the Jamaican goal and queuing up the ball on his favoured left foot, but the blast crashed into defenders who erected themselves into a wall.

And to bring the first 15 minutes to a close, French Guiana’s Jean-David LeGrand unleashed 25-yard left-footer that had swerve and power, but Miller was in no mood to be hoodwinked by the deceptive missile.

Shortly after the turnaround, Jamaica looked threatening even with their one-man disadvantage with both Shamar Nicholson and Cory Burke in quick succession slipping behind the opposing defenders, but were not able to get the target in their sight.

Burke again looked dangerous in the 111th minute when he dug his way into the box, but the wary French Guiana defence forced him wide and he could not get a shot off.

Miller was called into action in minute 117 from left-sided corner, rising high to get a shade of a finger on the ball. And seconds later he flew forward to punch out, but seemed to have hurt himself.

But he survived to fight on to the relief of his teammates with penalties looming.

Teams: Jamaica — Dwayne Miller, Sergio Campbell, Ladale Richie, Oneil Fisher, Shaun Francis, Ewan Grandison (Ricardo Morris 67th), Michael Binns, Jermaine Johnson (Shamar Nicholson 90th), Kevon Lambert, Junior Flemmings (Owayne Gordon 54th), Cory Burke.

Subs not used: Damion Hyatt, Rosario Harriott, Jamie Robinson, Javain Brown, Shawn Genus.

Booked: Burke (73rd), Richie (red-carded 93rd), Morris (97th)

French Guiana — Donovan Leon, Huges Rosime, Kevin Rimane (Miguel Haabo 85th), Jean-David Legrande, Gregory Lescott, Cedric Fabien, Loic Baal, Florent Malouda, Rhudy Evens, Schaquille Dutard (Thomas Issorat 73rd), Arnold Abelinti.

Subs not used: Jean-Baunel Petit-Homme, Marvin Torvic, Roy Contout Simon Lugier, Marc Edwige, Mickael Solvi, Serge Lesperance

Booked:

Referee: Wilson DaCosta (The Bahamas)

Assistant Referees: Trevor Porter (Guyana), Ainsley Rochard (Trinidad)

Fourth Official: Sherwin Moore (Guyana)

Match Commissioner: Patrick Beckles (Barbados)