PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Devon Jorsling fired a hat-trick as Trinidad and Tobago fought back from a deficit to thrash St Vincent and the Grenadines 6-2, and open their Digicel Caribbean Cup campaign on a high on Tuesday night.
Playing in Group F of the tournament at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, T&T embarked on a second-half scoring spree to run out easy winners in the second game of the doubleheader.
T&T, anxious to prove their dominance after recently slipping to third in the Caribbean Football Union rankings, grabbed the lead as early as the second minute when the in-form Jorsling scored from close range after an interception from left-back Joevin Jones.
SVG hit back in 28th minute when Shandel Samuel capitalised on an error by goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams to knock the ball into an open net.
Seven minutes later, T&T were back in front thanks to Jorsling’s whose second strike of the half which saw him shake his marker and produce a clinical finish.
However, Cornelius Stewart then stunned the local crowd when he pounced on an errant pass from central defender Julius James, to draw SVG level with a 20-yard stunner.
The second half, however, was all Soca Warriors as they scored two goals in the opening 10 minutes to kill off SVG’s hopes.
Kerry Baptiste, who had entered the game only moments earlier, started the revival for the hosts when he finished off Lester Peltier’s pass.
Jorsling then completed his hat-trick two minutes later with a cracking volley and Baptiste added his second of the night in the 67th minute by poking home a rebound after goalkeeper Dwayne Sandy had blocked Houghton Hector’s free kick.
