THE youthful Golden Jaguars outfit ended their four-game Caribbean tour on a positive note as they clawed their way back from a goal down to earn a hard-fought 2-1 victory, over Grenada at the National Stadium in St George’s, Grenada, on Wednesday night. Grenada went ahead in the 52nd minute but goals from the only two veterans in the Guyana team, striker Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams and seasoned left-back Walter ‘Boyd’ Moore snatched victory for the local-based Jaguars.
In the final minute of the game, Moore, captain for most of the trip, set up Pele’s Sheldon Holder whose shot was handled by a Grenada defender in the box. Moore stepped up to score the resultant penalty.
Commenting on the game coach Jamaal Shabazz stated: “The youngsters in the squad seemed to have left their best for last on this trip.
“Grenada were more aggressive and dictated the pace and controlled the game for long periods. But we kept creating the clearer scoring chances in the game”.
He continued: “I admired how our young lads fought back and battled with a more experienced opponent toe-to-toe until we got the knockout punch,” added Shabazz
For this game Shabazz singled out Kester Jacobs and Trayon Bobb as outstanding. But also commended the hard work and leadership provided by Anthony Abrams and Walter Moore in the match.
The team will return home in a few days for the all-important international friendly against Guatemala at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, on February 29 (next Wednesday).
The now concluded Caribbean trip, in which local-based players played in coach Shabazz’s two-tier system for the development of the national side and the upcoming Guatemala game, will see the return of the established first team players.