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Fighting mars New York Caribbean Cup match

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

BROOKLYN, New York (CMC) - Fighting between two opposing players marred a very robust duel between last season's championship finalists Grenada and Guyana in the New York-Caribbean Football championship on Sunday.

In their tussle for a play-off spot, both teams - locked on 1-1 - fought valiantly for the winning goal at the Jefferson High School Stadium.

The tension and periodic infractions turned ugly in the 75th minute when Grenadian striker Joel Forde, the scorer of his team's goal, and Guyanese defender Alvin Ashby, became embroiled in verbal and physical clash.

Play was halted for about 10 minutes in the final game of a triple-header and both players got red cards.

"I don't see it (fighting) in any game," Dalton Jones, Grenada's head coach, told CMC Sport in a post-game interview.

"It wasn't called for," he added. "Once they started to fight, he (referee) had no choice but to give them a red card."

David Simpson, Guyana's head coach, said the fighting resulted from the "heated battle" to earn a coveted place in the play-offs, starting on August 17.

"These things happen in the game," he said, downplaying what many fans described as unnecessary on the field of play.

Roger Cambridge had converted Guyana's lone goal in the 65th minute and the game eventually ended 1-1.

With the draw, Guyana moved to five points, from four games in Zone II, four points behind group leaders St Kitts and Nevis. Guyana and Grenada have both played three matches so far.

In the earlier matches Sunday, Haiti upset Colombia 3-1 and Barbados shut out Dominica 5-0.

Haiti ensured their place in the play-offs when a double strike by Blaise Schneider pushed them past Colombia for their third consecutive win in Zone I.

Haiti's victory puts them in the lead in Zone I on nine points, two ahead of defending champions Jamaica.

Barbados got their handsome win through goals from Dwayne Lynch, who scored twice, Dimitrius Foster, Renaldo Gilkes and Ali Amed Gill.

Barbados are now on four points, from three matches, the same as Colombia.

In next Sunday's matches, St Lucia play Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) meet St Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda tackle Jamaica.