by EZRA STUART

THREE CHEERS to the Barbados senior football team for winning Group "B" of the Digicel Caribbean Cup in Antigua and Barbuda and qualifying for the second phase of competition.

The team did the country proud, winning two matches and drawing the other to end with seven points in unfamiliar hot and steamy playing conditions at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

The Barbadian footballers began with a 1-1 draw with St Kitts-Nevis, a team which had beaten them each time in their last four outings.

This was followed by a commanding come-from-behind 3-1 triumph over host country Antigua and Barbuda, and the Bajans climaxed their preliminary qualifying campaign with a 7-1 crushing of Anguilla. It meant Barbados had scored 11 goals and conceded just three.

It was an oustanding display from a side which has slumped 59 places down the FIFA world rankings over the last four years, from 93rd to 152nd.

Moreso, it was a signal of gradual improvement following mixed results in three preceding tune-up games when they lost 1-0 to Guyana; drew 1-1 with St Vincent and the Grenadines; and blanked Dominica 5-0.

Being fortunate to be on the spot to see the national footballers in action, was an eye-opener.

What struck me immediately was the focus of the players during an intense training session which the team had last Thursday in humid conditions from around 3:30 p.m. at the King George ground on the eve of the Antigua game.

All the players, including technical adviser Keith Griffith, who supervised the session along with coaches Eyre Sealy and Jerry Skeete, were sweating profusely after the work-out.

Team spirit

Luckily, the team had brought along several cases of the energy drink, Powerade. One could also see the unity in the camp and that the team spirit was very high.

In the actual match against Antigua, the team did not lie down and play dead after conceding an early 16th minute goal, but pressured their hosts, who were supported by close to 3 000 boisterous home fans.

Barbados duly got the equaliser just before half-time and once Antigua were reduced to ten men early in the second half, they took control and won comfortably.

The team used a 4-4-2 formation throughout with veteran Gregory "Lalu" Goodridge playing very wide in the right wing back position, more in an attacking, than a defensive role, while newcomer Renaldo Fenty held his own at left back, getting forward when required.

Workhorses

Elvis Defreitas and John Parris were the workhorses in what were supposed to be holding defensive midfield positions, but they also joined the attack.

Defreitas will certainly have a bright future once he improves his passing as he possesses good defensive qualities as was exemplified in his man-to-man marking of St Kitts-Nevis' dangerman George "Yellow Man" Isaac.

Parris, the former team captain, was the more attacking of the two while he used his trademark long throw-in to good effect from the right side with Goodridge doing likewise on the right.

Goodridge, at 35 years-old, the oldest player in the side with over 100 international caps, played the full 90 minutes in all three games. Even though the speed is no longer there, he used his vast experience from playing in England to assist in the attacking moves.

He also took the right-sided corners while team leader Norman Forde was responsible for those on the left. Forde was omnipresent on the field, controlling the game but what was noticeable was that he did not drift too far back in defence to bring the ball forward but stayed behind the two strikers in a play-making but very attacking midfield role.

Dwight James did an outstanding marking job at front stopper, and Rommell Brathwaite was generally solid in the sweeper position, while goalkeeper Alvin Rouse was like a coach on the field, repeatedly shouting instructions.

Timely saves

Rouse conceded a goal in each game and when called upon, came up with a few timely saves, his best being an acrobatic dive to tip a firm header from Anguillan goalscorer Girdon Connor, over the crossbars. He needs, however, to be more commanding in coming out and catching the ball from corner kicks.

The England-based pair Paul Ifill and Mark McCammon showed the value of playing professionals in the line-up. They got hat-tricks against Anguilla and finished with four goals apiece, but both were not clinical enough upfront and really should have doubled their tally.

Forde, Goodridge and Parris should also have scored a couple of goals while Paul Lovell and Jeffrey Williams, who were rotated in midfield, scored a goal each.

Even the Barbados substitutes played their part in the last game against Anguilla with wing back Bryan Neblett and midfielder Ramuel Miller getting their first taste of the action.

Neblett made an immediate impact scoring the fifth of Barbados' seven goals, moving forward from right back to receive a cross from Goodridge and confidently placing a right-footed shot in the far corner.

Miller did not score but set up McCammon's third goal with a precise cross which was firmly headed home.

Both Kenroy Skinner and Jason Blackman made two brief appearances but were unable to fully express themselves, while it was a learning experience for Malcolm "Buju" Marshall, the only Under-21 player to gain selection.

He should certainly play a big role in the senior team in the future as he is young, fit and not afraid to tackle, and he has the ability to make defence-splitting passes in midfield.

l ezrastuart @nationnews.com