Montserrat and Dominica registered their first wins of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers with contrasting 1-0 and 3-0 scorelines against Belize and British Virgin Islands in Groups D and E, while Aruba and Barbados were forced to settle for a share of the points after a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate in Group C on Wednesday.
Montserrat struck early through Mark Rogers in the second minute and held on to secure a crucial win at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago. Rogers pounced on a rebound after Brandon Boatswain’s attempt was saved.
The win propelled Montserrat to fourth place with three points, just behind Panama and Nicaragua, on six points each, and Guyana, also on three points but with a superior goal difference.
Belize remains at the bottom of the group without a point and will look to salvage pride when they host Panama on Saturday at the FFB Field in Belmopan. Montserrat, still in the hunt for a top-two finish, will face Guyana on Tuesday in Leonora.
Dominica celebrate a goal.
In Group C, Omani Leacock gave Barbados a dream start in the sixth minute with a confident penalty strike, but Diederick Luydens equalized for Aruba in the 15th when he finished from a corner to level the match at Wildey Turf.
Leacock had a golden opportunity to win it in second-half stoppage time but missed a second penalty attempt in the 90+5. The result means both teams are now officially out of contention, with Aruba moving to two points and Barbados earning their first of the campaign. Curacao and Haiti, both on six points, hold the coveted top two positions, with St Lucia (one point) in fourth.
Aruba will wrap up their schedule against Haiti on Saturday in Oranjestad, while Barbados faces Saint Lucia on Tuesday in Gros Islet.
Meanwhile, Dominica delighted the home crowd with their first win of the campaign, as they blanked the British Virgin Islands to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive.
Audel Laville opened the scoring in the 29th minute when he lobbed the goalkeeper with a composed finish. Troy Jules doubled the advantage just six minutes later with a tidy right-footed shot from the edge of the endline. Laville capped off a stellar night with his second in the 75th to seal the 3-0 win.
The result places Dominica on three points, still fourth in the group behind Guatemala and Jamaica, on six points each, and the Dominican Republic on three points with a better goal difference. BVI remains winless at the foot of the table.
Dominica concludes its campaign with a pivotal clash against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo. BVI will finish against group leaders Jamaica on Saturday at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground in Road Town.