Two Trinidad and Tobago teams went head-to-head on the third day of the First Citizens Jewel of the Caribbean invitational tournament at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar on December 17.
At the end of the 70-minute affair, it was the team dubbed TT's "Red Angels" which got the three points, as they edged their TT "White Angels" counterparts by a 1-0 margin. Intriguingly, the Red Angels is an under-17 team, with the White Angels being an under-20 outfit.
In a scrappy game that saw the Red Angels shading proceedings with clearer goal-scoring chances, the game was decided in the 52nd minute when the diminutive Jayda Herbert scored with a right-footed shot from outside the area after being found by a through pass from Orielle Martin on a counter-attack. After being picked out by Martin down the Red Angels left flank, Herbert slipped and lost control of the ball. However, she quickly got to her feet and stunned goalkeeper Mya Figgerner with a well-struck shot on the swivel.
Despite reigning Secondary Schools Football League girls' Player of the Year J'Eleisha Alexander leading the line for the White Angels, the Dernelle Mascall-coached team lacked the composure and precision up top to consistently trouble the Red Angels.
From a 27th minute set piece, though, the White Angels came close when Mariah Williams' cross was just hit over bar by Jada Graham.
In first-half stoppage-time, White Angels defender Kimora Mitchell made a heroic block to deny Martin after Nikita Gosine and Cherina Steele worked a smart one-two in the final third. Martin scored an impressive beaver-trick to propel the Red Angels to a big 5-0 win over Dominica on December 15, but Mitchell ensured she had no clear sighters in this match.
Just after the halftime interval, Gosine and Martin had a clever exchange of their own, but the latter had her shot stopped by the outstretched leg of Figgerner.
Martin would have her telling impact on the game, though, and after dispossessing Mitchell with a tackle in the Red Angels half, she freed the lively Herbert to score the game's lone goal.
For the Red Angels, the victory took them to six points from as many matches, with the White Angels only having one point to show from their two matches.
On Monday, the White Angels played to a goalless draw with St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
SVG currently have five points from three matches, as they followed up draws against Jamaica and the White Angels with a tight 3-2 win against Dominica in the first game on Tuesday. Jamaica have four points from two matches.
The tournament will continue from 5 pm on Wednesday when the TT Red Angels tackle SVG in Couva, with the White Angels set to face a stern test from Jamaica in the second game of a doubleheader from 7 pm.
The tourney will conclude on December 20.
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