T&T's U-17 footballers gave the fight of their lives in Tuesday's crucial Caribbean Football Union (CFU) U-17 Men's Qualifiers at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, but went down 2-3 to a more organised Jamaica outfit, a result that placed their chances of advancing to the next round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in jeopardy.
The loss meant the home team finished third of the four countries in Group A, with three points and a minus-two goal-differential position.
They can still qualify for the next round as the best third placed team, but needed 3-0 wins from either Cuba or Curacao in Group B action yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
The team's finish on Tuesday was summed up by coach Russell Latapy at the post match press conference, who described the performance as just not good enough at the tournament.
Latapy who joined the thousands of supporters in applauding the fighting spirit of the players, made it clear his team gave up too many goals in their earlier matches courtesy a vulnerable back line. "We were in fact chasing the game all the time," the coach said. He said his team's performances showed up the players' lack of experience which could have been bettered if they had more time in training.
Latapy lamented the lack of continuity in local football, noting he was pleased to know that the current administration under president David John-Williams had expressed a desire to deal with it.
Latapy was again forced to make changes to his team as he brought in midfielder Che Benny and defender Brandon Semper but it did not stop the trend of early goals, as Raewin Senior profited from a left side cross by Coby Atkinson that put him clear in the box in the 12th minute to fire a left footer that went into the roof of the net to leave the host behind.
However, the T&T players felt they were given an unfair deal as the goal came after Jamaican midfielder Nicque Daley, though confined to the ground, flung himself at T&T defender Kerdell Sween in an attempt to shield the ball, which should have attracted the attention of referee Trevor Taylor of Barbados.
The home team went further behind when Daley found himself all alone in the penalty area to head home his team's second goal in the 32nd minute.
Still, there were no hanging heads as the young Warriors fought back. Benny whose performance against Bermuda in the last game earned him the right to be closely marked, delivered a left side corner which found Isaiah Hudson on the right side of the Jamaica penalty area, but his weak shot found Benny who tried to beat goalkeeper Daniel Russell at the near post with an attempt that went over the bar.
Jamaica missed a golden opportunity to go 3-0 up before the break when the hard working Jodel Brown was dispossessed in the centre of midfield and Daley's through ball to Senior placed him all alone with with Emmanuel John in the T&T goal. However, his low drive came off the legs of John and out of harm's way in the 38th minute.
After the resumption, T&T looked a renewed team taking just three minutes to pull a goal back. Benny shrugged off his marker on top of the area and lifted a pass to an unmarked Nion Lammy to head home in the 48th minute.
The goal revitilised the young T&T squad and they moved forward in numbers.
The equaliser came in the 58th minute when Hudson quickly popped in a cross from the left side that found Jaydon Prowell who headed in, despite the challenge of Russell in the Jamaica goal.
Thereafter, both teams slugged it out with referee Taylor being called into action regularly.
Jamaica had the last say though as the T&T defence was caught napping in the 75th minute. Senior was left alone in the box as a ball bounced awkwardly through it, and he pounced on it with a powerful low drive that beat John for his second goal and his team's winner.
WALTER ALIBEY