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– Guyana, Barbados play to 2 – 2 draw in CONCACAF Nations League opener
NEIL Danns, the Bury FC midfield ace, came to the rescue of the ‘Golden Jaguars’, scoring the decisive equaliser to salvage a draw (2 – 2) for the homeside against Barbados in their opening game of the CONCACAF Nations League, last evening at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.
Danns scored in the 78th minute; five minutes after his English Football League Two foe from Carlisle United and former Bury FC teammate Hallam Hope, had scored his second goal of the game to secure a point for Guyana in CONCACAF’s new and certainly exciting tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
With an almost packed house at the ‘West Side’ facility, Guyana dominated the 90-minutes contest and while the game ended in a draw, it doesn’t reflect the fact that the Golden Jaguars should’ve come out as clear-cut winners, after squandering a number of certain-goal chances in the first half.
Head Coach Michael Johnson in his first International game in charge of the country’s senior men’s national outfit, went with Kai McKenzie-Lyle between the uprights, while defender Ronayne Marsh-Brown got a start on his International debut.
Jake Newton, Captain Samuel Cox and Jelani Smith were the defenders, while Portugal-based Brandon Beresford, and Daniel Wilson linked with Danns in the midfield.
Upfront, Johnson started with Morvant Caledonia United pair Sheldon Holder, Andrew Murray (Jr) and Trayon Bobb who recently took his talent to Portugal’s third division.
Buoyed by a vociferous crowd, the ‘Golden Jaguars’ roared into action, creating a few chances from the get-go, with Murray coming close to heading home the side’s opening goal, but Barbados’ Keasel Broome Jr was there to make the save.
In the meantime, Guyana lost Newton due to an injury and the England-based defender was replaced by New Amsterdam United’s Kevin Layne Jr.
Meanwhile, Murray would once again squander another chance when he mistimed a perfect pass from Wilson that saw him one-on-one with the keeper, but again, Broome was quick to the task.
The Golden Jaguars continued to out manoeuvre their ‘Bajan’ counterparts, Holder would add to the spectators’ frustration with another missed opportunity when he placed his attempt too hard towards goal, sending the ball sailing over the cross bar.
Just before the close of the opening stanza, Murray collected a sweet pass off the chest from Holder and the Trinidad and Tobago-based forward’s shot, which should’ve found the back of the net, went inches wide of goal.
Guyana went back to the dressing room at halftime knowing that they should’ve been at least three goals clear, but upon resumption of the second half, Bobb just seconds into the game (46th minute) collected a through-ball from Holder and the rest, as they say was history; Guyana took a 1 – 0 lead and the crowd burst into wild celebrations.
However, Hope would score his first of two goals in the 65th minute when he intercepted a poor back-pass and the Bajan forward, who caught Guyana’s custodian off the line, placed it far left of the stretching Guyanese goalkeeper.
In the 73rd minute, a beautiful header from Hope would dampen the spirits of the Guyanese crowd, as the visitors looked set to break an over 19 years jinx and secure a win over the Golden Jaguars.
However, Danns would score his fourth international goal for the Golden Jaguars when he calmly scored from almost 22-yards out from goal.
The Golden Jaguars will now travel to The Turks and Caicos Islands for a meeting between the two countries on October 13, followed by an encounter against French Guiana on November 20, before hosting Belize in March, 2019.
For Barbados, up next is a clash against El Salvador on October 13, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) on November 18, and they will wrap-up their Nations League qualifier on March 24, 2019 against Nicaragua.
