Golden Jaguars, Martinique battle stalemate

— large crowd welcome return of international football to MCS

Guyana’s Golden Jaguars and the Martinique national team played to a nil-nil draw in front of a raucous crowd on Tuesday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Linden.
The stalemate marked a successful return of international football at this venue since 2011 and surely the turnout was one to remember where, while goals were not recorded, the game eventually rose to an exciting battle after all.
The Martinique side were first out of the blocks as they looked to have settled in faster on this pitch which saw the preparations being placed up to the last minute to ensure a proper surface. The visitors pressured their opponents with an attempt as early as the third minute of the encounter off a play down the left side. Guyana’s goal keeper Andrew Durant who was called into play early was again brought into the mix moments later. This time, a free kick was not cleanly taken by the Guyanese custodian which caused some amount of anxiety which was followed by a corner which was earned by the French side on the right, one of many during this opening stanza.
Guyana responded and gave some hope with a right foot volley which went high, but a free kick taken by the French team in the middle which went goal-wards saw Durant holding firmly in the 8th minute.
By then Guyana’s captain Samuel Cox stepped up for Guyana and then again through Christopher Bourne but nothing came from that play and Marcel Barrington sent a left cross without any success either.
In the 23rd minute, a good chance was not converted in when Marcel Barrington slipped one inside to the left of the penalty area to Vurnon Mills who was unable to rock the net. One minute adrift for the second successive play another close shave popped up as gasping fans witnessed the Golden Jaguars survive a testing first half which somehow ended scoreless, as the Martinique side would earned about five corners caused by constant pressure as against perhaps one for the local side.

Part of the action at the packed MSC ground in Linden on Tuesday night (Photo courtesy of GFF)

After play resumed, for the second period, in the 51st minute Martinique was again unable to finish a nice play and Golden Jaguars captain Samuel Cox, busy all night, hit the ball over the cross bar as he failed to control the shot. One minute later, Guyana was in a position to net the game’s first goal but an alert Josue Vega for Martinique was there to thwart that effort.
With the crowd in the game, as they were, throughout the first half, the Jaguars came forward with gusto and targeted the middle but again the defence of the French steadied with Vega being there to nullify the play.
Then Pernel Schultz, one of two locally-based players in the starting lineup, motored in but could not complete a play with a volley over the cross bar coming down the left side. In the 75th minute the Guyana goal keeper was well positioned to save an attempt from Vega of Martinique, this was followed with another good save when in the 82nd minute a low shot was cleared out by Durant collecting near the near post.
Durant two minutes later it seemed after diving low injured himself and made way for Axel Clarke to go between the uprights. Both teams made changes but to no avail as the game petered out to a draw in the end.
From all indications both coaches were pleased with the final result.
Coach of the Martinique Jean Marc Civault felt that they did well in not losing as they were preparing for Caribbean Cup later this year and this was a way of judging their progress towards that. His captain Les Matimino Parsemain admitted to being somewhat tired but took solace in the fact that they did not come away with a defeat as well.
Guyana’s Head Coach Wayne Dover took special time out to thank the large crowd which had turned out which he openly congratulated for the support they gave the home side. In the end he was satisfied that they Jaguars at least came away with a draw and this is the starting of a new era of Guyana’s football. Captain Cox was also in loud praise for the many fans who showed up and was impressed with how his charges played against this Martinique side in the end.