ST.JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda are sweating on the fitness of Nottingham Forest’s Dexter Blackstock, ahead of next month’s Caribbean Football Union Caribbean Cup Finals in Jamaica.
The 28-year-old missed this month’s second round qualifiers and though Antigua managed to advance, head coach Rolston Williams said the presence of the English Championship club frontman would improve the side’s attacking options.
“Players like Dexter Blackstock is coming off an injury, but he wasn’t fully fit for this round and his physio had told him to take precautionary measures for this round, and if we (advance) to look at the next round,” Williams said.
“So I think he is one of the players we are looking at for that final round because we are definitely short in goal-scorers and we need to strengthen the team in that area.”
Antigua finished second on four points in Group 7 of the second round qualifiers hosted in Port of Spain, advancing along with group winners Trinidad and Tobago.
They opened with a 2-1 win over St Lucia, drew nil-all with the Dominican Republic before going down 1-0 to T&T in their final outing. Williams said Antigua could have gotten better results but said they were let down by the lack of clinical finishing.
“We are creating the chances, but we are not taking them. Our defensive shape is very good, our moving of the ball is good,” he explained.
“But once we get to the attacking third or the opponent’s defensive third and we are creating the chances, we are not putting away the easy chances so definitely we need to strengthen our team as it pertains to that for the final round.”
In the Finals, scheduled for Montego Bay, Antigua will play alongside French sides Martinique and Haiti, and hosts Jamaica in Group B.
