PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad —Jamaica put in a disciplined performance to clip regional nemeses Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 in Thursday’s friendly international football match here at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The Reggae Boyz wide attacker Jamiel Hardware opened the scoring in the sixth minute to temporarily silence the few thousand home supporters inside the venue.

However, Kevon Villaroel levelled for the Soca Warriors in the 11th minute after an error in judgement from Jamaica’s goalkeeper Shaven Paul.

Fabian Reid, who has experience playing club football in the two-island republic, secured victory for Jamaica after he redirected a thunderous free kick from Michael Binns past Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip in the 57th minute.

The hosts thought they had equalised in stoppage time, but one of the assistant referees from Trinidad and Tobago flagged for offside against Trinidad’s wing back Alvin Jones, who had knocked the ball into the net virtually from the goal line.

It was a hard-earned victory for the Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore-coached outfit, in the midst of a rebuilding phase. The largely inexperienced Reggae Boyz squad comprised locally based players — some of whom debuted on Thursday.

For Trinidad, the loss represents a setback ahead of key 2018 World Cup qualifying games against Honduras and Panama next month. But Head Coach Dennis Lawrence could take solace from his team’s control of the tempo for much of the encounter, and also for creating the greater number of goalscoring opportunities.

Heavy rainfall earlier in the day left the playing surface damp as both teams took the field in the late evening encounter.

The visitors were off to the perfect start when wing back Ricardo Morris whipped a deep, left-sided cross into Hardware, who was completely free at the Trinidad back post.

The wily player took the ball down gracefully and cut inside his marker before booting a left footer into the roof of the net from about 10 yards out.

Only five minutes later, Paul’s blunder gifted Trinidad and Tobago the equaliser.

Paul, playing his first game for Jamaica, found himself flat-footed as an intended left-side cross from Villaroel floated beyond him and clipped the underside of the crossbar before going in.

By then Trinidad had already wrested more possession of the football and they forced Jamaica onto the back foot for the remainder of the half.

At about the 18-minute mark, Trinidad’s Hughton Hector whistled a one-time effort from inside the 18-yard box past Paul’s left-hand upright, after good work down the right by Alvin Jones.

Approximately 26 minutes in, the hosts’ Jared London was teed up just outside the box after central defender Ladale Richie slipped and fell on the slick surface. Much to the Jamaicans’ collective relief, London sailed his left-footed blast high.

Close to the half-hour mark, Reid fired a warning at the other end by shooting high from long range after he latched on to a loose ball.

The Reggae Boyz were generally tentative in the first half, but the second stanza saw them showing far more purpose.

In the 52nd minute, central midfielder Ewan Grandison drove Jamaica forward with a powerful run, but his low shot streaked wide of goal.

However, 12 minutes into the second period, Jamaica did take the lead under fortuitous circumstances.

Reid was perfectly placed to use his body and deflect Binns’ left-footed effort beyond a wrong-footed Phillip.

Midway the second half, Paul, who was a picture of nerves in the opening half, rescued his team with an outstanding bit of goalkeeping.

After half-time substitute Hashim Arcia was put through on goal when the Jamaican defence for once was cut wide open, the young goalkeeper went down smartly to palm the ball away as the lanky midfielder tried to dribble by him.

As the end approached, the Trinidad and Tobago team mustered a few half chances but Jamaica, though showing signs of fatigue, mostly held firm.

The closest the hosts came was in the first of five minutes added for stoppages. However, offside was called just as home fans left their seats to celebrate what they had believed was the equaliser.

Teams: Trinidad & Tobago — Marvin Phillip, Aubrey David, Kevon Villaroel, Cordell Cato, Nathan Lewis (Tyrone Charles 62nd), Marcus Joseph, Hughton Hector (Hashim Arcia 46th), Curtis Gonzalez (Neil Benjamin 81th), Alvin Jones, Tristan Hodge, Jared London

Subs not used: Tayrk Sampson, Julio Noel, Akeem Benjamin, Nathaniel Garcia, Maurice Ford, Rundell Winchester, Adrian Foncette

Booked: Villaroel (55th), Jones (56th), London (71st)

Jamaica — Shaven Paul, Ladale Richie, Rosario Harriott, Ricardo Morris, Javain Brown, Michael Binns, Ewan Grandison, Marvin Morgan (Alex Marshall 71st), Jamiel Hardware (Kaheem Parris 81st), Fabian Reid (Rondee Smith 86th), Shamar Nicholson (Jermaine Johnson 73rd)

Subs not used: Amal Knight, Vishinul Harris, Leonard Rankine

Booked: Reid (73rd), Binns (88th)

Referee: Sherwin Johnson (Guyana)

Assistant referees: Caleb Wales (Trinidad & Tobago), Kevin Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago)

Fourth official: Cecile Hinds (Trinidad & Tobago)

Match commissary: Everton Alfred (Trinidad & Tobago)