The Guyana women’s “Lady Jags” football team continued to impress recording yet another dominating victory against their opponents in the Turks and Caicos football festival with Ashley Rodrigues hammering home a hat-trick.
The Lady Jags hammered the Turks and Caicos female U-20 team 5-0 after earlier defeating a Turks and Caicos Select Team by a similar margin on the opening day.
The Lady Jags entered the game with much more confidence than the previous game but it was the T&C U-20 team who had the first shot to goal.
However the second minute shot was denied by Lady Jags’ goalkeeper Bailey McKendrick.
Guyana responded immediately with a counter attack resulting in a corner, which, headed towards the T&C uprights, was saved by their custodian.
The pressure continued and the Guyanese contingent was soon on the scoreboard when a fourth minute Ashley Rodrigues play on the left flank where she broke through the defence and hammered a shot to the top left corner of the goal that beat the goalkeeper.
The Guyanese continued their dominance on the field against a very athletic and physical T&C U20 team but the constant attack by the Guyanese players resulted in numerous shots and corners.
They then doubled and then tripled their lead in the 12th and 38th minutes compliments of strikes from Nikkita Persaud and Rodrigues to lead 3 – 0 heading into half time.
At this point the first substitutions were made with Kaitlyn Wong You and Roxanne Stephen who replaced Rodrigues and Ashley Savona respectively.
Eventually, Odessa Romeo replaced Justine Rodrigues.
Shortly after, the score ticked on to 4 – 0 when Wong You, scored off a rebound from the crossbar.
Guyana went ahead 5-0 in the 57th minute when Rodrigues completed her hat trick.
After receiving the ball just outside the penalty area, she dribbled the centre back and goalkeeper before unleashing a rocket-like shot into the back of the net.
Shortly after, Technical Director Mark Rodrigues injected all the substitutes into the game so as not to expose his main players to the aggression of the T & C players.
Briana DeSouza was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) by the technical staff for her stellar defensive role.
The coaching staff had moved her out of her centre back position to defensive centre mid, to ease the pressure on Rehanna Murani (the Lady Jags playmaker), who was then free to roam and create numerous goal scoring opportunities.
At the end of the game the “Lady Jags” did a lap of honour showing appreciation by waving and shaking hands with the many Guyanese supporters who turned up to see the game.
The “Lady Jags” will now face Bethseda FC who also won their previous two games by scores of 4-0 against the T &C U-20 team and 9-0 against the T&C Select team.
This will be a true test for the Lady Jags team as Bethseda FC is not only the number one team in Maryland, USA, but the team has been playing together for many years.
