ST LOUIS, Missouri – Everton winger Demarai Gray celebrated his 27th birthday with a brilliant brace, as Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz thrashed Caribbean counterparts Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup here Wednesday night.
Everton’s Demarai Gray celebrates a goal with Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey on Wednesday night.Gray netted in the 14th minute and then again on the half-hour mark, sandwiching Aston Villa forward Leon Bailey’s 18th minute strike, as Jamaica stormed to a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break at CityPark in the American Midwest.
Andre Rampersad, who plays for HFX Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League, pulled a goal back in the 49th but United States-based Molik Khan’s own goal sealed a miserable night for Trinidad and Tobago.
There was also misery for another English-speaking Caribbean side St Kitts and Nevis who conceded four goals inside half-hour, to slump to a 6-0 defeat to reigning champions United States.
Following the second round of Group A matches, United States top the standings on four points but only on goal difference, as Jamaica also lie second on four points, with T&T sitting third on three points.
Chasing their first win following a draw with the US in their opener last weekend, Jamaica wasted little time in taking the lead when West Ham striker Michail Antonio did a brilliant job of holding up play, feeding Bailey who then set up Gray for a clinical finish from about nine yards out on the left.
Bailey, who missed a penalty against the USA, then beat the off-side trap and chested down a ball floated over the top from the center circle, before volleying a left-footer past goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup.
The goal was initially waved off for off-side but a VAR check saw the decision reversed.
And Jamaica stretched their lead even further in the 30th minute, Kevon Lambert putting through Antonio in the box, and Gray easily slotting in the resulting squared pass.
“I’m happy. It’s a very important three points. We were disappointed to [draw] against USA in the first game after being ahead for most of the game,” said Gray, in only his second game for Jamaica.
“But this game was important and to score four goals as well. I think we could’ve been more ruthless as we had a lot more chances but three points is the most important [thing].”
Trinidad and Tobago hit back in style almost immediately after the resumption, Levi Garcia taking defender Dishon Bernard to the byline down the right fand squaring for Rampersaid who nudged home from close range.
Bailey then missed an open goal from close range in the 55th after being set up by Antonio before Shamar Nicholson had his shot saved in the 65th, with Antonio missing the follow up.
Another chance went abegging in the 66th when Bailey missed again from the box under pressure from a lunging Kareem Moses, as Jamaica continued to squander opportunities.
In the second of five minutes of stoppage time, 17-year-old substitute Dujuan Richards’s rasping drive from 22 yards out took a deflection off Khan and past Frenderup, to seal Trinidad and Tobago’s fate.
Meanwhile, St Kitts suffered their second straight loss in the other game at the venue, Jesús Ferreira netting a hat-trick in the 16th, 25th, 50th minutes and Djordje Mihailovic adding a brace in the 12th and 79th.
