An 80th-minute goal by T&T's instrumental midfielder Kevin Molino earned the Soca Warriors their first point and goal in Group D of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in a 1-1 tie with Guyana at the Children's Mercy Park in Kansas, United States on Wednesday night.
After coach Dennis Lawrence made five changes to his starting squad that was drubbed 6-0 by the USA on Saturday, Lawrence's plan appeared useless as many chances went abegging on both sides of the half.
Levi Garcia posed serious threats to the Guyanese defenders down the right flank but failed to find an opening in the early moments of the match between Caribbean rivals.
The speedy winger created his team's first real opportunity on the half-hour mark, releasing to an unmarked Jomal Williams on the left side. But with the goal at his mercy, Williams' attempt to find the vacant far post was skilfully pushed wide by Quillan Roberts in the Guyana goal.
Four minutes later, Garcia, after another one of his telling runs down the flank, turned and twisted his marker before attempting to thread the ball through a crowded Guyana defence only to find Roberts again equal to the task, pushing the shot wide with a sprawling save.
And when Garcia centred the rebound to an unmarked Leston Paul in the box, the diminutive player placed it wide of the post and into the safety of the Guyanese defence. Both teams went into the halftime break with the score at 0-0 and when the match resumed the Guyanese caused a major scare by taking the lead.
Prolific Guyanese striker Neil Danns was picked out on the wide left with a searching long ball in the 53rd minute and despite being tightly marked by Aubrey David, Danns cut in past his marker and unleashed a thumping shot that flew past replacement goalkeeper Adrian Foncette in the far left corner for the lead.
GUYANA TEAM:
Quillan Roberts 22, Samiuel Cox 8, Terence Vancooten 15, Ronayne March-Brown 6, Daniel Kadell 3, Elliot Bons 4, Neil Danns 16, Anthony Jeffrey 23, Pernell Schultz 12, Keanu Marsh-Brown 7, Sheldon Holder 9,
Substitutes:
Akel Clarke 1, Alex Murray 18, Kevin Layne 2, Jordan Dover 5, Liam Gordon 13, Matthew Briggs 20, Callum Harriot 11, Daniel Wilson 14, Stephen Duke-McKenna 19, Brandon Beresford 21, Emery Welshman 10, Torell Ondaan 17.
Michael Johnson (Coach).
TT TEAM:
Adrian Foncette 22, Aubrey David 2, Daneil Cyrus 5, Carlyle Mitchell 12, Makeil Williams 17, Kevin Molino 10, Kevan George 19, Leston Paul 23, Jomal Williams 20, Shahdon Winshester 9, Levi Garcia 11,
Substitutes:
Marvin Philips 1, Gregory Ranjitsingh 21, Curtis Gonzales 15, Alvin Jones 16, Joevin Jones 3, Neveal Hackshaw 4, Duane Muckette 6, Cordell Cato 7, Khaleem Hyland 8, Nathan Lewis 13, Akeem Humphrey 14, Lester Peltier 18.
Dennis Lawrence (Coach)