MIAMI, FL – Minnows Barbados lost their fourth on the trot despite a brace of penalties from Austria-based forward Thierry Gale, as they slumped to a 5-2 defeat to the Dominican Republic in the CONCACAF Nations League on Monday night.
Barbadian forward Thierry Gale.Gale’s tenth minute penalty at the Estadio Cibao handed Barbados a surprise lead but Dorny Romero’s hat-trick in the 30th, 48th and 79th minutes quickly dashed any hopes the visitors harboured of a surprise result.
The defeat left the Barbadians bottom of Group B and in danger of being relegated from League B while the Dominican Republic notched their third win in four outings to confirm second place in the group, behind unbeaten Nicaragua.
Barbados continued to leak goals and Monday saw them concede five for the third straight game.
Gale’s opening penalty came after goalkeeper Xavier Valdez brought down Shane Codrington in the box but Riki Alba surged through the Barbados defence moments later to equalise.
Romero’s first goal gave the DR a 2-1 half-time lead and the 25-year-old stretched the hosts’ lead on resumption when he headed home Angel Melo’s cross in the 48th.
Heinz Mörschel put the DR out of sight with a 59 minute strike and even though Gale grabbed a second penalty in the 66th minute, Romero completed his hat-trick with his third header following a corner.
In Group C, St Vincent and the Grenadines conceded late to waste an opportunity to take a share of the points in a 3-2 loss to French Guiana.
Playing away at Stade Pierre Aliker, the Vincentians were in the contest when Cornelius Stewart equalised with the second of his brace in the 73rd minute.
However, Jules Haabo got the winner three minutes later to deliver full points for French Guiana, which saw them top the group and continue their push for promotion to League A.
Stewart’s 16th minute strike had levelled the game following Thomas Nemouthe’s ninth minute opener, before Franz Gaubert scored on the stroke of half-time to give French Guiana the edge.
SVG lie second in the group on six points following their second loss.
In other games played, Nicaragua beat Montserrat 3-0 in Group B of League B while in League C, Saint Martin crushed Anguilla 8-0 in Basseterre and Turks and Caicos Islands drew 2-2 with British Virgin Islands in Providenciales.
