Vincy Heat battles to a 1-1 draw with Belize

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Vincy Heat escaped a Belize goal raid when both teams met last Friday, at the Belize Football Stadium in Belmopan.{{more}}

Vincy Heat was let off the hook, thanks to their goalkeeper, Dwaine Sandy and some poor shooting by the Belizean strikers, in a match of merely academic interest, in Group E of the CONCACAF Qualifiers.

The Vincentians started the match purposefully and created the early openings. A deft piece of interplay between Myron and Shandell Samuel served Cornelius Stewart with a goal on a platter in the tenth minute.

This was a payoff for their domination, a domination which lasted until the Belizeans scored in the 21st minute.

A long unintentional ball eluded Vincentian defender Reginald Richardson, to allow Deon Mc Caulay to get past goalkeeper Dwaine Sandy, where he had the open goal at his mercy. He made no mistake, and levelled the scores.

Thereafter, it was all Belize, as their speedy and purposeful midfielders and forward went on the rampage, as the porous Vincentian midfield had no answer.

Luck was on the Vincentians side as Harrison Roches rounded a floored Sandy, but could only scoop the ball past the right upright.

Despite the home team’s goal hunger, the first stanza ended 1-1.

Belize then camped out in the Vincentian half of the field for most of the remainder of the match, making forays at will, establishing real estate on several parts of the pitch.

Sandy was spurred into action on several occasions, with his sidekick the crossbar aiding him on an Elroy Smith shot.

Technical Director and Head Coach Colwyn Rowe, in the interim, brought on Akeeno Hazelwood for Shandell Samuel in the 55th minute, to stem the flow.

The insertion of Romano Snagg for Wendell Cuffy in the 79th minute, injected life on the right flank, as the Vincentians conjured up some inroads of their own.

Stewart failed to get his head on the end of a Myron Samuel free kick, while other half chances were also created as the match wound down.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines played with ten men for the last four minutes after Shemmol Trimningham was ejected for his second bookable offence.

Durwin Ross, then came in for Myron Samuel, as the match finished 1-1.

Rowe admitted at the end of the match that he team did not play as well as they could, and according to him, “You need a little bit of luck sometimes”.

“We did not lose and that what was important,” Rowe said.

He lamented that Vincentian teams in the past did not get good results in Central America.

The only other occasion when St. Vincent and the Grenadines came out without losing, on that side of the Caribbean Sea, was a 2-2 draw against Nicaragua in June 2004.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize meet today, Tuesday, November 15, in the return leg here at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, as both outfits end their World Cup sojourn.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines starting XI is: Dwain Sandy(GK) Cornelius Huggins(Captain), Roy Richards, Reginald Richardson, Shandell Samuel, Myron Samuel, Wendell Cuffy, Shemmol Trimmingham, Chad Balcombe, Cornelius Stewart. Jolanshoy Mc Dowall.

Subs not used: Winslow Mc Dowall, Damal Francis, Gregson Hazell.