An injury-time goal by captain Lyle Taylor gave Montserrat their first victory over Barbados and the ideal start in the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League.
Last night at the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Wildey Turf, Montserrat came from behind to defeat the Tridents 3-2 to join Nicaragua at the top of Group B in League B of the competition.
Thousands of spectators departed in disappointment when the ball went beyond Barbadian custodian Liam Brathwaite in the 98th minute.
Taylor sent an early message to the host as he opened the scoring in the 6th minute.
Jamie Allen was offered too much time to deliver a cross from the left and an unmarked Taylor was waiting at the far post to convert from close range.
Two minutes later Elijah Downey levelled the score with a clinical effort.
Thierry Gale’s goal and assist was not enough to save Barbados from a 3-2 home defeat versus Montserrat in the Concacaf Nations League opening match.
Thierry Gale dribbled in from the left and played a defense-splitting pass into the path of Downey who fired a low shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
The early nerves settled quickly and both teams vied for possession in the middle third which resulted in several fouls.
Montserrat always seemed dangerous when Taylor, Brandon Barzey and Joseph Taylor were in possession and combined with each other.
However, the most dangerous player on the pitch was Gale and he gave Barbados the go-ahead goal in the 26th minute.
The SK Rapid Wien player justified every cent of his recent million dollar move.
Montserrat celebrate their match winning goal versus Barbados. (Photo courtesy Concacaf)
Gale dribbled by his marker with ease and played a pass into the feet of Hallam Hope who returned the ball to Gale to finish with a brilliant one-touch finish beyond Montserrat goalkeeper Kymani Nelson.
Barbados took full control of the game after taking the lead, exhibiting confidence, patience, and comfort in possession. However, this comfort turned into complacency in some instances and possession was given away cheaply and unnecessarily .
One of those occasions occurred in the 38th minute and Joseph Taylor took a left footed shot from 25-yards, which clattered the right post, giving Barbados a scare and a wake-up call.
Brathwaite was the hero just before the interval. A cross from Abraham Dorsett found the run of Lyle Taylor but his effort from inside the six-yard box was blocked by the Barbadian goalkeeper.
Both teams made quick substitutions in the second half in an effort to take control of the match.
Barbados had a number of opportunities to extend their lead but failed to convert the chances offered.
Montserrat made Barbados pay for their missed opportunities and tied the score 2-2 in the 81st minute.
Joseph Taylor’s freekick found Dorsett inside the penalty area, and the Reading FC midfielder played an inviting cross along the six-yard box, which was turned into the net by Tridents’ center back Shane Codrington.
Another set-piece would undo the Tridents. One which would snatch all three points from the host.
Substitute Renaldo Trim fouled Lyle Taylor, who then assumed the free-kick taking duties from his younger brother Joshua.
The “Emerald Boys” skipper placed his shot away from the six-man wall, goalkeeper Brathwaite and precisely into the top left corner.
Barbados will aim to rebound in their next fixture on Monday versus Nicaragua at the Nicaragua National Stadium at 10 pm easter time.
Squad: Liam Brathwaite; Zacharry Ellis-Hayden, Shane Codrington, Krystian Pearce, Andre Applewhaite; Jomo Harris (Shaquan Collymore), Shaquan Clarke (Renaldo Trim), Elijah Downey (Akeem Chandler); Curtis-Jay Jemmet-Hutson (Nadre Butcher), Hallam Hope (Niall Reid-Stephen), Thierry Gale
Unused substitutes: Raheem Agard, Jerome Blackman, Ramon Griffith, Zeco Edmee, Kyle Forde-Blades, Abdullah Javaid, Terrence Smith