The Antigua & Barbuda Benna Boys sent a strong message to the other teams in Group A of the CFU Caribbean Cup as they opened their qualifying campaign with a 6-0 trouncing of Anguilla at the Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) Wednesday night.
Contesting the feature game of a double-header, the Benna Boys applied early pressure, coming close to scoring on two separate occasions within the first three minutes of play.
Striker Peter “Big Pete” Byers pushed his way around the Anguillan defence in the opening seconds but his low cross was cut out by a backtracking defender while 90 seconds later a stern cross from Tamarley “Ziggy” Thomas came off a defender and flew onto the upright.
The hosts broke the deadlock in minute seven when a straight pass found the advancing Callaum Martin just inside the area.
The England-based attacking player remained calm to slot the ball past Anguilla’s Ryan Liddie in goal.
“Ziggy” Thomas should have increased the home team’s advantage seven minutes later when he was found unmarked on the edge of the six yard box. His left-footed attempt was, however, sent crashing into the side-netting.
Midfielder Keiran Murtagh gave the Benna Boys some cushion in the 34th minute when his straight drive off the edge of the penalty area took a deflection and flew into the back of the net.
Young striker Tavaughn Harriette made it 3-0 just before the interval when he rose above the Anguillan defence to nod a side-footed cross from Captain Quinton Griffth past Liddie from just around the penalty spot.
The strike was the last before the halftime interval.
Antigua and Barbuda’s dominance continued in the second half with Byers joining the action in the opening minutes after the break.
The striker collected deep in the penalty area, and with two defenders on his back, turned to swing a left footed effort into the back of the net to make it 4-0.
The hosts made it 5-0 with a minute 68 penalty, earned when “Ziggy” Thomas was brought down in the area.
Griffith scored the second attempt after his initial kick was blocked by Liddie.
Murtagh found his second, and the country’s sixth, just minutes later when he scored from close range.
The huge victory puts Antigua & Barbuda at the top of the group on goal difference.
In the opening match, St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) defeated Dominican Republic 1-0 before a sparse ARG.
The solitary strike of the contest came in minute 42 when midfielder Jarrel McMaster collected a ball just inside the 18 yard box.
The player, left un-checked, advanced to round the Dominican Republic goalkeeper, Wellington Agramonte, before slipping a low pass to the advancing McBurnette.
The striker was left with nothing to do but tap the ball over the goal-line.
The competition continues Friday when SVG take Anguilla at 5pm, and host Antigua and Barbuda play the Dominican Republic at 7pm.