Hall eyes positives as Bajans draw again in Dominica
Barbados played out a second successive goalless draw against Dominica on Sunday evening at Windsor Park Sports Stadium, closing their friendly series with another cagey but encouraging display.
Despite both teams struggling with wasteful finishing, the Tridents edged the contest on paper, registering four shots on target to Dominica’s three from a total of 12 attempts apiece. The visitors also won six corners compared to the hosts’ four, but neither side could find the composure or cutting edge required in the final third.
Head coach Kent Hall was largely upbeat about the performance, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect his team’s growing control of proceedings.
“I’m pretty pleased with the performance but just a little disappointed in the result, and mostly because I think if it was a boxing match, I think we won on points,” Hall said. “That’s football. We have to get the ball in the net to get the results that we need.”
Greater purpose
Barbados looked more fluid in possession and progressed up the pitch with greater purpose than in their earlier match. Hall acknowledged the improvements in the build-up play.
“We certainly improved from the first game to the second game in how we played in the progression phase. We were able to get into the final third with a lot more controlled situations,” the former national midfielder explained.
The early exchanges were evenly matched. In the fifth minute, rookie striker Corey Hoyte held up the ball smartly before laying it off for Jaheim Neblett, whose shot was deflected for a corner. Experienced defender Mario Williams showed excellent recovery pace minutes later to shepherd the ball out of play under pressure.
At the other end, goalkeeper Shaquon Philips had a few nervy moments – misjudging a cross in the 15th minute and producing an awkward clearance under pressure in the 30th – but also delivered two crucial saves late in the second half. His best came in the 85th minute, diving to deny Audel Lauville’s acrobatic effort, though the rebound nearly cost Barbados as Travis Joseph dragged his shot wide
with the goal gaping.
Hall praised the defensive organisation and grit on display. “Keeping two clean sheets obviously is massive,” he said. “Very pleased with the attitude of the players.”
Missed chances
Still, the final third remains a concern. Harewood and Hoyte both missed presentable chances in the 55th minute, while substitute Khimani Cox failed to capitalise after being set up by Carl Hinkson on the hour-mark.
“We need to sharpen up things there and be a little more incisive to create the quality of opportunities that we want with a little more frequency,” Hall admitted.
With World Cup qualifiers on June 4 against Aruba at the BFA Technical Centre followed by a clash against St Lucia at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on June 10, the head coach remains focused on fitness and squad readiness.
“We still know there’s fitness levels that we can improve,” he noted. “It’s been difficult to work on that because everyone is in the middle of the Premier League season and we’ve got to be mindful and respectful of their responsibilities to their clubs.”
Nonetheless, Hall sees the two matches in Roseau as valuable preparation. “I think overall we’ve got a good platform going into the World Cup qualifiers in June,” he said. “We’ve been able to expose some players to the level and see how they handled it. For some of them, yeah, it was an eye-opener to just how much more physically demanding it is and the speed of play.”
“Overall, I would say we made good use of the situation and they’re happy enough coming away from here, even if the results weren’t what we would have liked.” (JC)
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