Sidebar

28
Thu, Mar

Typography

Defence Force coach Kerry Jamerson has acknowledged that Caledonia AIA deserved to win Friday night’s final of the Courts Pro Bowl football tournament, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.

Caledonia emerged victorious courtesy of a 2-0 win, with goals from strikers Kendall Velox and Nigel Codrington.

“Overall, I think the better team on the night won the game,” said Jamerson. “I think Caledonia gave a great performance tonight over Defence Force, which is my team.

“I believe my team didn’t really come out and play how they usually play,” added the former Strike Squad midfielder. “At the end of the day, a final will always be a final and one team must win. And I believe Caledonia deserved to win tonight.”

On Tuesday, Defence Force lost 2-0 to CLICO San Juan Jabloteh in Round One Match Day Six action of the Pro League while Caledonia rallied to a come-from-behind 5-1 mauling of Ma Pau.

Jamerson refused to accept the fact that Tuesday’s results affected both teams, especially the Army-Coast Guard combination.

“I wouldn’t say that but I believe Caledonia seemed very confident in themselves,” Jamerson said. “I believe Caledonia did their homework and they played as a better group tonight.

“We will have to go back to the drawing board and I know we had a death today, (losing) one of our technical staff.”

Jamerson noted that the person, Ronald Slater, was the team’s equipment manager and was involved in the team camp up until Friday morning. When he left the camp to attend to a few work-related errands on his dispatch motorbike, at the Second Battalion base in Chaguaramas, he was struck by a car and died hours later at hospital.

“I’m not going to blame (the defeat) on that,” Jamerson added, as the team members each wore black armbands and the players took a minute’s silence as a mark of respect. “Sports will always be sports and I’m not going to blame it on that death. We had a poor game tonight.”

To the surprise of many, left-back Akile Edwards’ name was not even on the team sheet on the night. “I just decided not to use him especially as he’s going (in camp) with the national team,” said Jamerson. “I thought I could have given him a rest so he can save himself for the national team and (I could) try other players.”

On the flip side, captain Anton Pierre was used on the night, even though he will be joining the Trinidad and Tobago team for training ahead of the friendly international against England next Sunday.

“I didn’t want to give my captain any rest, because I know it’s an important game (against Caledonia),” said Jamerson. “The captain will always do good on my pitch, in (carrying) my team forward all the time.”

Defence Force is yet to maintain any form of consistency in the 2008 Pro League season and Jamerson pointed out that the team will “have to look forward in the League.

“We’re not going so well in the league either but I thought tonight we’d really bring it out,” he added. “We have to go back to the drawing board and focus on trying to reach higher in the league.

“Also, (there are) a lot of knockouts to take place,” he continued. “We’re not going to give up. We’re going to go from strength to strength.”