Grenada will qualify for DCC Finals provided hosts Guadeloupe are able to defeat neighbours Martinique.

Wednesday, October 15; Stade Municipal Rene Serge Nabajoth – Les Abymes, Guadeloupe: Shane Rennie’s double strike may prove to be the Grenada-launcher into the final round of the Digicel Caribbean Championships, with a 4-2 victory against Cayman Islands in their vital final qualifying match of Group F; provided hosts Guadeloupe are able to defeat neighbours Martinique.

The spice Island of Grenada knew ahead of the game that only a victory would do, and with a starting XI unchanged from their previous outing against hosts Guadeloupe, it was expected that they would dominate proceedings against a Cayman Islands team that have looked out of their depth so far this round.

With 24-hour rain dousing the butterfly shaped isle for the past week, it was known that the quality of play would not be allowed to soar on the muddy pitch. In fact, for the opening thirty minutes of this fixture, the ball rarely left the middle of the park; so it came as a great surprise to all when Cayman claimed the opening goal with the games first shot on target. Nikolai Hill’s run to the by-line and cut back to Ericksen Brouwn meant the strikers inclusion in the starting team paid immediate dividends for Coach Carl Brown.

Grenada would recover their footing in minute 36 with their first shot on target from the always influential Ricky Charles. Another distance effort from Cassin Langaigne forced a good save to his left from an increasingly busy Jermaine Brown in goal.

Brown would however fail his third test, as the kinetic Kithson Bain bustled to the by-line and powered across goal, only for Brown to fumble the ball into his own net and reluctantly restore parity to the score line.

The score would not remain tied for long, as just before the halftime break Grenada’s Shane Rennie unpinned and launched a grenade from inside the box that exploded into the net, past an unsighted Brown in goal, taking the score to 2-1 in favour of Grenada at the break.

The restart saw Ricky Charles influence begin to grow, as the dreadlocked ‘Midfield General’ began to find himself in more advanced positions; and had it not been for a lapse in concentration in minute 48, when he had a swing and a miss from point blank range, Grenada would have been rewarded for their increasingly dominant display.

Charles would make up for his mistakes in minute 67 when Kithson Bain took a misplaced pass down on the chest from 20-yards out. Charles took over from there, taking possession from Bain before blasting low past an under siege Brown with no defensive pressure in sight.

With the score now at 3-1 in favour of Grenada, and most of possession in Caymans final third, the inevitable was delayed until minute 79 when Grenada made it four through the irrepressible Shane Rennie.

Rennie needs braces, and I don’t mean his teeth, scoring his second double of the round in determined fashion: spinning 90 degrees whilst down in the box, to rake the ball into the back of the net and take Grenada’s score to four.

Cayman would add another of their own in minute 82, when Brouwn added his second. After Desmond Noel fumbled in the mosh-pit of a box, Brouwn was there for sloppy seconds to take the score to a more respectable 4-2 at the final whistle.

For Grenada the mission was complete, finishing on four points and with a positive goal difference of just one goal, Grenada’s destiny would now rest in the hands of Guadeloupe, who should they defeat Martinique by a two goal margin, would not only oust their closest rivals but also promote Grenada to the Finals of the Digicel Caribbean Championships in Jamaica this December.

Cayman Islands: 1. Jermaine Brown, 3. Phillip Berry, 4. Oneil Taylor, 5. Thomas Elliot, 9. Jairo Sanchez (6. Ian Lindo-min 71),, 10. Ericksen Brouwn, 13. Mario Rene Carter, 17. Nikolai Hill (14. Gary Whittaker – min 64),18. Horace Nelson, 19. Leighton Elliot, 20. Garth Anderson (8. Ron Douglas – min 57)

Subs: 2. Benjamin Cupid, 12. Mario Dinnall, 15. John Kelly, 16. Gary Dion Brandon

Grenada: 3. Shanon Phillip (14. Marvin Frederick-min 70), 4. Cassin Langaigne, 6. Marc Marshall, 9. Ricky Charles, 10. Kithson Bain (27. Junior Paul – min 90), 11. Anthony Modeste, 13. Dwayne Leo, 17. Nickson Baptiste (19. Kimron Redhead – min 82), 23. Junior Williams, 25. Shane Rennie, 30. Desmond Noel

Subs:  1. Peter Jules, 5. Devon Roberts 18. Henson Cuffie, 22. Richardson Ettienne,

 

 

Cayman Islands Erickson Brouwn– min 31 Erickson Brouwn– min 82	2-4	Grenada Kithson Bain– min 42 Shane Rennie– min 45 Ricky Charles– min 67 Shane Rennie– min 79

 

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