MIAMI, FL – Jamaica’s Reggae Girls left themselves with all to do against Guatemala next Sunday when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Panama in their penultimate game of the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup qualifiers on Wednesday.
Goal-scorer Shaneil Buckley.Playing at the National Stadium in Kingston, the Jamaicans trailed after 30 minutes through Marta Cox’s penalty but recovered to draw level courtesy of Shaneil Buckley on the stroke of half-time.
The draw left Jamaica bottom of Group B of League A on two points, Panama moving to the top of the standings on seven points with Guatemala second on four points.
“We just wanted to ensure we didn’t lose tonight – that was the first objective,” said Jamaica’s head coach Xavier Gilbert.
“Of course we wanted to win but we’re still in with a shot coming up in our final game.”
He continued: “I think we just didn’t score. We had to score goals to win and we just didn’t get on the scoresheet [enough].”
Jamaica twice spurned half-chances to take the lead early in the contest. Davia Richards just failed to get on to the end of Melissa Johnson’s squared pass in the ninth minute, with goalkeeper Yenith Bailey beaten.
In a nearly carbon copy move in the 17th minute, Buckey squirted a pass across goal but yet again, Richards failed to find the finish.
Against the run of play, the visitors took the lead when Lauren Reid brought down captain Natalia Mills in the box and Cox sent goalkeeper Serena Mensah the wrong way from the spot.
However, Jamaica found the equalising goal with half-time beckoning, Marlo Sweatman scooping a cross to the far post where Buckley finished clinically.
In the second half, Jamaica pressed for the game-winning goal but failed to find it despite thrice coming close.
Meanwhile, unbeaten Guyana pulled off the most dominant win of the evening when they thrashed Dominica 9-0 in Paramaribo.
Playing in League B, the Guyanese got a hat-trick from Otesha Charles (4th, 74th, 79th) and a brace from Annalisa Vincent (38th, 88th) as they remained on top Group A with their fourth win, moving to 12 points.
The loss for Dominica was their third, leaving them bottom on four points and eliminated from progressing.
