Reggae Boyz stay top after beating hosts Grenada
Jamaica defeated Grenada 4-1 in the Concacaf Nations League A match at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium to consolidate top spot in the group with seven points from three games.
Romario Williams (12th), Shamar Nicholson (23rd), Demarai Gray (74th) and Captain Bobby Reid (88th) netted for the Jamaicans, who ran out easy winners and could have won by a wider margin.
Trevon Williams replied for Grenada in the 30th minute.
The Reggae Boyz, with their second win in the group following their 1-0 triumph over Honduras and a 2-2 result against Haiti, are looking good atop the standing.
Second-placed Cuba on four points and third-placed Honduras on three points were set to play each other later on Thursday. Haiti are up to fourth on three points following their 1-1 result versus Suriname who stay in fifth on two points.
With top striker Michail Antonio of West Ham United out of Thursday evening’s game, Jamaica’s Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson started with Nicholson and Williams upfront and Demarai Gray, Kevon Lambert, Joel Latibeaudiere and Reid in a four-man midfield.
Greg Leigh, Di’Shon Bernard, the returning Michael Hector and Tayvon Gray stood in defence, while Jahmali Waite got the nod in goal.
It wasn’t long before the Jamaicans rocked the home team as Williams put them in front.
Nicholson made it 2-0 midway through the first half after collecting a beautiful pass from Romario Williams and turning the last defender before calmly firing home.
Grenada pulled one back in the 30th minute, Trevon Williams giving the home team a glimmer of hope. Then Bobby Reid came inches close to restoring Jamaica’s two-goal advantage, firing just wide of the left upright after turning his defender inside out.
The impressive Demarai Gray, formerly of Everton in England now at Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, calmly slotted home in the 74th minute.
Reid put the icing on the cake when he latched onto a long ball over the top and finished neatly with two minutes left on the clock.
The Reggae Boyz now turn their attention to Haiti in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, on Sunday as they look to take a tighter stranglehold on the group.
