Golden Jags go 2 in 2 at Concacaf Nations League

Story and photos by Jemima Holmes

A collective effort from the Golden Jaguars on Tuesday afternoon ensured they sit comfortably at the top of Group B of League B of the CONCACAF Nations (CNL) League B.
The home crowd did well to motivate the senior men’s national team, as they managed to achieve a 2-1 victory over Bermuda.

Guyana’s starting XI at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara, read: Quillan Roberts (Goalkeeper), Leo Lovell, Jaylen Jones, Quincy Adams, Captain Samuel Cox, Daniel Wilson, Neil Danns, Omari Glasgow, Stephen Duke-Mckenna, Trayon Bobb and Torell Ondaan.
The contest between Bermuda and Guyana was evenly matched, until Trayon Bobb broke free of the opposition’s defence and was able to secure Guyana’s first goal in the 35th minute. The line of assist came down from Quincy Adams in defence to Stephen Duke-Mckenna in the midfield.
Bermuda’s intensity immediately touched the roof, as they searched for the equaliser in a foreign land. A series of well executed plays off the opportunity of a set piece set Bermuda’s Dante Leverock up square in front of the goal. With a beauty of a bicycle kick later, Leverock brought a sense of relief to the Bermudan camp with the equaliser in the 42nd minute.

In spite of the goal, Quillian Roberts was superb in the nets, keeping the visitors out of contention for much of the encounter.
Each time he had the ball on his toes, the crowd gathered at the Leonora Stadium erupted with cheers of “Mari!!, Mari!!” They finally got what they came to witness in the 45th+ 2, when Omari Glasgow took an assist in the box and guided it, not only through the legs of Bermudan goalkeeper Dale Eve, but also through those of defender Leverock.

Coming back from the half with the advantage, Guyana held firm to ensure that Bermuda was unable to equalise once again, largely due to the work of Quincy Adams in the defence.
Glasgow had another opportunity to add to his tally in the Nation’s League, but his attempt at the set piece went sailing over the head of the opposing goalkeeper.
Nonetheless, when the whistle finally blew, Guyana led the game 2-1 for another 3 points.
The Golden Jaguars are still in the lead of Group B with 6 points. Haiti takes second place with 4, after a narrow 3-2 victory over Montserrat, also on Tuesday evening. Bermuda has one point, while Montserrat is yet to make a case for itself.
The Golden Jaguars will now shift their attention to Haiti, since they will clash at the Leonora venue this Saturday, June 11. Again, on June 14, Guyana will meet the same opposition, this time in the Dominican Republic, in what will be considered as Haiti’s home game. Arguably, the two contests will decide who leads the group, at the conclusion of the first round of league games.