ORLANDO, Florida – Overseas-based stars Shamar Nicholson and Bobby Reid both produced clinical first half strikes as Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz made a winning start to their CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Suriname here Monday night.
Goal-scorer Shamar Nicholson challenges Suriname’s Dion Malone during Monday’s contest.Playing in Group C at the Exploria Stadium, the 24-year-old Shamar Nicholson scored in the sixth minute while Reid netted in the 26th, to hand Jamaica a 2-0 lead at the break which they managed to keep intact over the last 45 minutes.
“We’re very elated about the three points. We get the tournament kick-started with a victory,” head coach Theodore Whitmore told media.
“Not the type of performance we expected but at the end of the day we have three points.
“We scored, we didn’t concede so we came away with a clean sheet and that was a positive for us. I think we were OK in the first half. In the second half, the Suriname team made it very difficult for us.
“But all in all, it’s the first game so we get the first one [out of the way] and we hope to improve in our next game.”
Jamaica grabbed the early lead courtesy of Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, the 23-year-old tantalizing the Suriname defense down the right before laying off for Daniel Johnson at the top of the 18-yard box.
The 28-year-old Johnson, who plays for Preston North End in the Championship division in England, then teed up Nicholson who beat goalkeeper Warner Hahn to his right with a low drive from the edge of the box.
Suriname responded almost immediately. With Jamaica’s defense caught napping on the counter, Kelvin Leerdam put through Gleofilo Vlijter who shot narrowly wide with custodian Andre Blake beaten, after charging off his line.
Jamaica made Suriname regret the wasted opportunity nearing the half-hour mark when the Egypt-based Damion Lowe put a searching aerial ball into the box and the defensive header fell to Reid, who volleyed first time from 22-yards to again beat Hahn to his right.
Reid, 28, plays for Fulham who were relegated from the Premier League last season.
Not for the first time, Suriname hit back, Sheraldo Becker’s long-range drive grasped by a diving Blake at the far post in the 28th minute.
Meanwhile, French Caribbean side Guadeloupe enjoyed no such fortune in the other game in Group C, having Steve Solvet sent off and going down 3-1 to Costa Rica.
Joel Campbell put the Costa Ricans ahead in the sixth minute before Ariel Lassiter added the second in the 21st, before Raphael Mirval pulled one back for Guadeloupe in injury time.
Solvet was shown a straight red for violent conduct nine minutes after the break and Costa Rica capitalized to add a third through Celso Borges in the 70th.
Jamaica and Guadeloupe meet in their next fixture on Friday at the same venue.
