Despite securing a four-timer in Jamaica’s 12-1 whipping of Cuba, striker Cheyna Matthews credited her teammates for the performance that saw their Concacaf Women’s Olympic Caribbean Qualifying campaign get off in convincing fashion at the National Stadium on Monday.

Matthews, who scored two goals in either half — 20th, 31st, 62nd and 69th minutes — modestly took the player of the match recognition, saying she was more delighted by the team’s overall display.

Tiffany Cameron secured a brace with goals in the 38th and 53rd minutes. Deneisha Blackwood (fourth), Trudi Carter (14th), substitutes Reilly Paterson (72nd) and Tarania Clarke (78th), and Dominique Bond-Flasza (88th) were also on the scoresheet. The Reggae Girlz also benefited from an 80th-minute own goal conceded by Yarisleidy Mena Novo. Yoana Calderon Gonzalez got Cuba’s consolation in the 55th minute.

“For us to come out and only concede one goal and put away so many chances, is a really positive start to this qualifying tournament. I have great teammates around me that put me in great positions, so it makes it really easy for me [to score],” Matthews told journalists in a post-game interview.

“It’s always nice to put some away, and then to get a hat-trick…I mean, any player just loves that feeling and it helps build confidence — so when the games get a little bit tougher and qualifying gets a little more difficult you still have that in the back of your mind that you are confident and you can put it in the back of the net,” she added.

France-based Khadijah “Bunny” Shaw, the Reggae Girlz talismanic striker, sat out the game after arriving on the island a few hours prior to kick-off, following a tough fixture for Girondins de Bordeaux against PSG in the Division 1 Féminine.

Matthews, 25, believes her strike partner Shaw will relish the opportunity to possibly top the scoring charts for these qualifiers like she did during the 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign.

“I’m excited for her [Shaw] to get out there and have some fun too. After seeing this many goals, you know any forward is itching to get in and make some magic too, so I am excited for her to get out there with us,” Matthews shared, while stressing the significance of having her teammates assiting her goalscoring efforts.

“When you have players like Tiffany Cameron playing beautiful diagonal balls across the field it’s hard to not reward her for it. So, I think my teammates push each other and everybody wants to do better.

Assistant Coach Lorne Donaldson, in charge of the team in the absence of Hue Menzies, spoke highly of the Washington Spirits player.

“She [Matthews] is a good player; she plays at a very high level and she is a willing runner, that’s what we call her, there isn’t a ball that she doesn’t like to chase. She is a pro and she is a good athlete, and when she gets in front of the goal she knows what to do with the ball,” Donaldson noted.

The win pushed the Jamaicans to the summit of Group B on three points, with a healthy goal difference ahead of Barbados who were 3-2 winners over St Lucia. The United States Virgin Islands are the other team in the group.

Jamaica will next be in action against Barbados on Friday.

Today’s games

St Lucia vs US Virgin Islands @ 4:00 pm

Cuba vs Barbados @ 6:30pm