U14 Junior Jaguars end CFU campaign with morale-boosting win

Guyana’s national under-14 boys’ team, the Junior Jaguars, have ended their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Challenge Series 2024 Group stage campaign on a high, after picking up back-to-back wins on Monday and Tuesday.

The SVG encounter
The Junior Jaguars came up against St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Monday, August 19, and Nahshon Fergus gave the SVG the lead in the 8th minute.
Guyana responded with a series of attempts to equalize, but Pharez Noble’s powerful strike was expertly saved by Vincy Heat’s goalkeeper Sean Johnson in the 15th minute; and shortly after, Kevin Bunton’s shot from the right was headed clear by Keson Durant; while Jaden Tasher’s follow-up was blocked. Then just before the half-time break, SVG’S Johnson sprang into action again, making a crucial save to maintain the SVG lead as the teams went into the interval.
The second half saw both teams struggling to find a rhythm, and although Guyana pushed hard for an equalizer, several well-placed corner kicks went unrewarded.
Then, in the 61st minute, Kafayne Clasp had a chance to extend the SVG lead, but Jackman’s initial save, followed by a second attempt, kept the score at 1-0.

Guyana’s Nyron Barrow had a long-range effort in the 64th minute, but that was comfortably dealt with by Johnson. Beau Hoyte of the SVG also had a chance to score, but Jackman made a clean tackle to deny him.
Guyana’s persistence eventually paid off in the final moments of the game, when Mark Glasglow showcased his skill by manoeuvring past three defenders and placing the ball beyond the reach of an off-balance Johnson to level the scores at 1-1.
The Cayman Islands encounter
Captain Jadon Tasher on Tuesday put on a ‘player of the match’ performance to lead Guyana to a 4-0 thumping of the Cayman Islands.
With the more purposeful start, Guyana had the Cayman Islands reeling from the time the opening whistle sounded; and early pressure paid dividends in the 4th minute, when Jaden Tasher took a free-kick from far out, and his effort bounced just short of King Caleb Eden, in goal for the Cayman Islands. The goalkeeper misread the bounce, and the ball found the back of the net.
The Cayman Islands pressed on, and in the 10th minute, Charles Morrison, with some intelligent play, collected a throw deep in the Guyana half and flashed his effort across the goal. The Guyana goalkeeper Kerwain Chance was on the wrong foot, but got his hand to it and deflected it away for a corner kick.
The ensuing corner kick was headed away, but fell invitingly for Calum Whiteside at the top of the penalty area. The midfielder sent his volley straight at Chance, but he comfortably collected the effort.
Fortuitously, Guyana doubled the lead in the 19th minute via an own goal by Ja’Dore McLaughlin. Guyana’s Nyron Barrow swung a left-footed corner kick into the near post, and McLaughlin attempted to head the ball away, but it skimmed off the top of his head and flew away from the outstretched arms of his goalkeeper.
Undeterred, the Cayman Islands went on the attack again. Forward Ra’jon Boothe was off to the races, but he lost his footing as he attempted to shoot at goal.
The Cayman Islands were awarded a free-kick shortly after, when Whiteside was upended after skillfully evading two defenders. However, Cameron Murray’s free-kick from a splendid position failed to trouble Guyana’s Chance.
Later, Jahari Reid’s 26th run in the back post was undetected, but his effort failed to beat the goalkeeper.
Murray came close to pulling a goal back, but his 30th minute effort from a distance crashed off the crossbar, and Jahari Reid’s conversion on the rebound was ruled offside.
Boothe got in behind the Guyana defense in the waning stages of the first half, but rushed his effort and shot into the side netting.
The Cayman Islands team continued to put their Guyanese counterparts under pressure, and Morrison again looked to combine with Boothe, this time playing provider; but Chance cut his cross into the box in what proved to be the last act of the first half.
On resumption of play, Guyana again went on the attack. In the 37th minute, Kevin Bunton sent the ball rocketing towards the goal, but Eden pulled off a diving save. The Golden Jaguars, in asserting their dominance, forced the Cayman Islands’ defense to withstand waves of pressure from Pharez Noble and Mark Glasgow — who made the Cayman Islands’ defense uncomfortable, as they found it difficult to handle Glasgow’s pace and directness.
Guyana extended their lead in the 45th minute, courtesy of forward Jaden Christian. The substitute reacted first to a bouncing ball in the penalty area, then capitalized on the defensive error by slotting the ball to the left of Eden.
The one-way traffic continued, and Christian menaced the Cayman Islands defense, by then showing signs of fatigue. Things got worse for them in the 62nd minute, when Tasher conjured a superb free-kick: a screamer from 25 metres out that hit the upright before going in to register a brace for his team.
The Cayman Islands were, however, able to score a consolation goal in the 70th minute. Morrison was played through by Cooper Nelson, and the Cayman Islands captain got his shot off from just inside the penalty area. The initial attempt was saved by Chance, but it went into the path of Levi Jack, and the second-half substitute did not waste the opportunity in his finishing. Morrison had another chance in injury time, but a chipped effort went over the crossbar.
There was still enough time for Jack to have another shot at goal. A blocked clearance fell at his feet, but Chance blocked the attempt, thereby preserving his team’s clean sheet.
The final whistle wasn’t long in coming, ensuring Guyana got their first victory of the competition, thereby securing third position in the group.
Barbados topped Group A of Tier II with a perfect 12 points, and have moved on to the semifinal stage, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines were second with 7 points, and were booted from a knockout stage berth based on an inferior goal difference.
As Guyana wrapped up their outing in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde expressed his pride in the team’s performance by stating, “Despite a challenging start, each one of you displayed unwavering commitment, and left everything on the pitch, embodying the true spirit of sportsmanship and excellence. You have represented The Golden Arrowhead with exceptional character and distinction, making our nation immensely proud. This is just the beginning of what promises to be a long and successful journey for each of you as you develop in the coming years.”