Shaw, Blackwood hit three-timers as Girlz hit St Lucia for 11
Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz put on another marauding display as they outclassed St Lucia 11-0 to confirm Group B honours in the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Caribbean qualifiers yesterday.
The prolific Khadija “Bunny” Shaw joined the scoring party with a hat-trick in the third, 16th and 34th minutes, much to the delight of the moderate crowd inside National Stadium.
Defender Deneisha Blackwood (28th, 68th, 78th) also had a hat-trick, while there was one apiece for Cheyna Matthews (fifth), Dominique Bond-Flasza (32nd), Tiffany Cameron (37th), Trudi Carter (55th) and substitute Tarania Clarke (89th).
With the win, the Jamaicans moved to maximum nine points with 31 goals to their name, while conceding one.
Barbados joined Cuba on six points after a 4-0 win over United States Virgin Islands in yesterday’s curtain-raiser. St Lucia remain on three points.
Jamaica should end with maximum 12 points when they face the pointless US Virgin Islands in the final group game tomorrow.
The Jamaicans started in their usual frantic manner when Shaw got on the end of a pass that was floated over the top and fired home from close range.
Matthews doubled the advantage with a calm left-footed finish along the ground, after being played through on goal by Shaw.
Shaw, who was on top of her game, and exhibiting some slick passes at times, sidewinded her way through traffic in the 18-yard box to add a third from close range.
Blackwood pushed the Jamaicans further ahead with a simple tap-in at goalmouth, after Matthews rolled one across the face of goal.
Bond-Flasza added her name to the list with a firmly driven right-footed effort from outside the 18-yard box, to credit Cameron with the assist after a nice back pass.
The towering Shaw then completed her three-timer with another comfortable finish after dismissing custodian Namaly Flood.
Cameron sealed the seven-star display three minutes later with an easy finish to the right of Flood, after getting on the end of a weighted pass over the top by Carter.
With Shaw and Solaun being replaced by local-based Shantel Bailey and Tarania Clarke immediately on the resumption, Jamaica’s tempo dropped briefly, before Carter restarted the scoring exploit with a nice finish 10 minutes in.
After bringing Kenna Lionel in goal for Flood, St Lucia were forced to pull the substitute goaltender out due to injury, which resulted in an outfield player — Ayana Vitalis — from off the bench taking up duties in-between the sticks.
The Jamaicans used the opportunity as somewhat of a target practice, firing shots from all angles to test the makeshift goalkeeper.
Blackwood was first to succeed with an easy left-footed chip shot that floated over the head of Vitalis.
And the left fullback later completed the three-timer with a thumping left-footed effort from just inside the area that burst through the hands of the custodian.
Clarke then completed the onslaught with a nice right-footed drive that sailed past Vitalis on the stroke of full time.
Illana Lashley got St Lucia’s lone shot at goal, but the firmly struck effort was well collected by Ricquelle Farquharson in goal for Jamaica in time added.
Teams: Jamaica — Ricquelle Farquharson, Sashana Campbell, Allyson Swaby, Deneisha Blackwood, Tiernny Wiltshire, Dominique Bond-Flasza, Havana Solaun (Tarania Clarke 46th), Khadija Shaw (Shantel Bailey 46th), Trudi Carter, Tiffany Cameron, Cheyna Matthews (Rena Gordon 62nd)
Subs not used: Chris-Ann Chambers, Chantelle Swaby, Reilly Paterson
Booked: none
St Lucia — Namaly Flood (Kenna Lionel 46th, Ayana Vitalis 68th), Stephanie Alllain, Tiffany Allain, Cassandra Sheperd, Britanya St Prix (Tangie Lansiquot 66th), Andrianna Dmuchalsky, Illana Lashley, Ellaisa Marquis, Krysan St Louis, Raquel John, Emma Clovis
Subs not used: Meurissa Prince, Tamara Edward, Carlyn Williams, Verlisha Remy
Booked: none
Referee: Quetzalli Alvarado (Mexico)
Assistant referees: Kimberly Moreira (Costa Rica); Lidia Ayala (El Salvador)
Fourth official: Karen Abt (USA)
Match commissary: Egbert Lacle (Aruba)