BROOKLYN, New York CMC – Trinidad and Tobago held powerhouse St Kitts and Nevis to a goalless draw in the eighth round of the New York Caribbean Football Cup at the Jefferson High School Stadium on Sunday.

The Trinidadians showed marked improvement over previous championship battles in holding St Kitts at bay throughout the duel, significantly enhancing their prospects of making the tournament’s play-offs.

Last season’s runners-up St Kitts came close to scoring in the 29th minute when a left corner kick was stoutly defended by the New York Soca Warriors.

Ten minutes later, Adon Nurse came close to converting for the Kittitians when a low shot hit the left upright and went out of play.

Both teams increased their aggression in the second half, but were unable to find the back of the net.

In the 47th minute, a powerful header from Trinidadian striker Angelo Jack failed to find the desired spot and 12 minutes later, St Kitts’ seven-man monolithic defence averted T&T’s conversion from a free kick 10 yards outside the penalty box.

Larry John, St Kitts and Nevis head coach, said even though he was without the services of three vital strikers through injury – Julian Bradshaw, Linsworth Francis and Richard Francis – his team should have still won the match hands down.

“We played well enough to win the game. We had chances we didn’t capitalise on,” he told CMC Sports

T&T coach Eric Thomas said he was pleased with his ever-improving squad.

“The game was tight. We got some opportunities, they got some. We got a lot of good quality players now,” Thomas said.

The draw puts Trinidad and Tobago on seven points, third in the West Zone, after four matches, one point ahead of St Lucia and one behind St Kitts and Nevis.

Antigua and Barbuda now head that zone with nine points, after beating St Lucia 3-1 in Sunday’s earlier match.

Don Johnson, Okeem Challenger and Tamarley Joseph converted for Antigua while Fedee Cornelius was on target for St Lucia.