Jahmarie Nolan’s late hat- trick carries Jamaica to 9-0 win over Cayman in U20 qualifiers
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jahmarie Nolan came off the bench to score a sublime second-half hat-trick to lead Jamaica to a 9-0 beating of the Cayman Islands in their CONCACAF U-20 Qualifiers – Round 1 Group B game played at Stadion Rignaal ‘Jean’ Francisca in Willemstad, Curaçao, on Friday.
Jamaica was scoring a third straight win and maintained their lead in the standings on goal difference over Puerto Rico, who beat the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier in the day.
It was a fourth straight win for Jamaica over the Cayman Islands at the Concacaf Under-20 level and first since 2008.
Nolan, who plays for the Toronto FC Academy and who had scored two goals for the Jamaican Under-17 team in their 12-0 whipping of the Cayman Islands in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers earlier this month, was subbed on in the 60th minute and scored in the 78th, 90th, and in time added on.
Jamaica, who had made wholesale changes from the team that beat Turks and Caicos 7-0 on Wednesday, led 3-0 at halftime.
Giovanni Taylor, who captained the team on the night, scored in the 28th minute, after the Cayman Islands goalkeeper had saved his penalty kick, and added a second in the 33rd minute.
Odane Wilberforce had opened the scoring for Jamaica in the 19th minute when he headed a corner into the lower left-hand corner.
Orel Miller scored in the 52nd minute to make the score 4-0, and Claver Nugent also scored in the 71st minute and Jabarie Howell in the 88th minute.
Jamaica will next be in action on Sunday against St Kitts & Nevis at 7:00pm Jamaica time.
-Paul A Reid