The Barbados men’s national football team waved goodbye to League C of the Concacaf Nations League in emphatic fashion with a 6-2 win over the Bahamas on Tuesday night at the Wildey Turf. Barbados were playing to remain perfect in Group A, and for seeding in next month’s play-in tournament, which will determine participants for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification tournament.
The Bahamas, winners over the United States Virgin Islands at Wildey on the weekend, would also have been playing in hopes of making the play-in as the best second-placed team among the three groups. They would also join Barbados in being promoted to League B.
In the sixth minute, Brandon Adderly scored his sixth goal of the CNL campaign, moving him off a tie with Barbados’ Niall Reid-Stephen as the leading scorer in League C. A long ball into the box, and some lax defending gifted the visitors the initiative. Just as they had done in September at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex, the Bahamas were in the ascendancy.
Two minutes later, Reid-Stephen put pressure on the Bahamian keeper, Michael Butler, with a neat cross to Khalil Vanderpool-Nurse. Butler was equal to the initial effort, parrying away with his legs. But Barbados captain Andre Applewhaite, who scored the game-winner the last time out in St Croix, was Johnny on the spot, tucking his second CNL goal away to bring the home team back on level terms.
Just 12 minutes into the piece, the action was fast and furious. Reid-Stephen earned a penalty, after a badly-timed tackle from Bahamian captain Lesly St Fleur. Reid-Stephen dutifully dispatched the spot kick, his left-footed shot finding Butler’s hand, but going in anyway. The goal put Barbados ahead, in the process drawing Reid-Stephen level with Adderly on six goals.
A wild tackle got Nicoli Brathwaite’s name into the referee’s book, precipitating a small scuffle.
But almost as soon as things settled, Sheran Hoyte made a brilliantly-timed run into the box, off a pass from Carl Hinkson and a lovely dummy from Reid-Stephen. The former Fleetwood man made no mistake, getting his first international goal, and the Tridents looked to go into the break with three goals unanswered and a two-goal cushion.
It was not to be, however. Omari Bain danced into the Barbados box, crossing to Michael Massey, whose shot took a wicked deflection off Nicoli Brathwaite, the latter credited with the own goal. The halftime score of 3-2 mirrored the final score the last time these two met.
Within two minutes of the resumption, though, the home team reopened that three-goal gap. A Reid-Stephen cross, after beating two defenders, sought Vanderpool-Nurse. The scuffed clearance went only as far as Omani Leacock, the Wotton winger making no mistake in his first start of this campaign.
Applewhaite extended the advantage in the 52nd minute, his second goal coming as he ran far post to receive another fine cross from the talisman, Reid-Stephen.
Hoyte netted again as well, his marker coming in the 64th. Bursting out of midfield, he seized on some sloppy Bahamian passing, bearing down on Butler, and finishing with composure.
“Obviously, results-wise, we’re really happy,” admitted Barbados manager Kent Hall. “But as I keep saying we’re trying to improve all the time. So there’s the part of me now that’s annoyed that we conceded two. But there are so many positives from the game, so it’s a checkpoint, one that we need to celebrate, so we absolutely are going to celebrate.”
Barbados ended with 58 per cent ball possession, and an incredible 347 correct passes, 91 per cent passing accuracy. The Bahamas made 78 per cent of their passes, a total of 208. Most importantly, the Tridents took 31 shots on goal, with their opponents managing only 10.
Hall’s men ended the tournament with 17 goals scored, and a remarkable plus-13 goal difference. With Belize set to play the Turks & Caicos Islands later the same evening, the Tridents had given themselves a lot of breathing room with their home wins. Belize only had a plus-six goal difference coming into their final contest.
Unless Belize gets a huge win over TCI, Barbados is likely to face Guyana next month. The Golden Jaguars finished bottom of Group A in League A. They will be relegated to League B in 2025, and will enter the play-in round, after conceding 13 goals in four games.
(TF)
