Schäfer Gamble Pays Off as Donaldson Grabs Jamaica Win over Haiti (Video)
Reggae Boyz snatch contentious World Cup success on artificial grass
Clayton Donaldson’s controversial 64th-minute headed goal was enough for Jamaica to make it a hat-trick of wins over near neighbours Haiti in Tuesday night’s World Cup Qualifier. The veteran’s match-winning strike saw Donaldson unmarked.
His goal proved enough to claim maximum points from a tight contest in his first start for the Reggae Boyz, which left the majority of the crowd inside the sold-out Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince fuming with the officials.
The hard-fought triumph on the artificial grass pitch will have particularly delighted Jamaica’s head coach Winfried Schäfer, back on the bench following his one-match ban from FIFA.
Schäfer had been forced to shuffle his side following Friday’s feeble home defeat to Panama, and he bravely opted for a 4-5-1 formation with new recruit Donaldson given the nod over Darren Mattocks as the sole striker.
Mattocks had scored in four of the past six games, but he was left helpless and feeding off scraps in Kingston as Panama totally dominated possession.
Regular forward Simon Dawkins was absent, having returned to England after becoming disillusioned that he was not used against Panama.
The talented Giles Barnes, who had suffered a serious knee injury on artificial grass, was not risked. This left either three Jamaica-based hitmen or Donaldson to lead the front line.
So Schäfer took a gamble on the in-form Birmingham City striker Donaldson, which paid dividends in a hotly-contested defensive tie.
Danish-based skipper Rodolph Austin was another player who had suffered a severe knee injury on the surface, so like Barnes he too missed out on tackling Haiti.
It was left to Adrian Mariappa to take over as captain, and he brilliantly marshalled the defence to their first clean sheet since September’s must-win World Cup match against Nicaragua in Managua.
The much-changed side saw only the back four — Michael Hector, Kemar Lawrence, Mariappa and Wes Morgan — and attacking midfielders Je-Vaughn Watson and Joel McAnuff retain their places from Friday’s dismal display against Panama.
Haiti head coach Marc Colatt also made changes by bringing in Frantz Bertin, Jeff Louis, Sony Mustivar and Sony Norde following their gutsy 1-0 reversal in Costa Rica.
And it was the hosts who started brightly, Max Hilaire coming closest to breaking the deadlock only to be denied by Andre Blake on 17 minutes and three minutes later the Jamaican shotstopper was incredible to fingertip away Louis’ looping effort.
These goal-scoring scares jolted the Boyz into action, with the enthusiastic Donaldson injured in a clash with Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide that required off-the-field treatment.
Schäfer persevered with Bradford-born Donaldson, only granted international clearance in July through his grandfather’s Jamaican heritage, as the 31-year-old battled away at every opportunity.
After the turnaround it was the Boyz who settled down and took control of the contest.
Demar Phillips should have done better, but he thumped Alvas Powell’s cross straight at Placide.
Yet he soon made amends with a telling corner that picked out Donaldson to head the Boyz into the lead on 64 minutes.
But what proved to be the match-winning goal was questionable as to whether it should have been allowed, with the home defence appealing to the referee as they deliberately left Donaldson unmarked.
Haiti came perilously close to snatching a deserved equaliser in the final minute, only for livewire Duckens Nazon’s effort to narrowly miss the target and subject the hosts to their second 1-0 defeat in as many games.
In contrast to the distraught Haitians, Jamaica’s World Cup campaign remains intact after snatching the vital three points in the four-team group.
Costa Rica followed up their 1-0 success over Haiti with a thrilling 2-1 win in Panama, where all three goals were bagged in a five-minute period.
And Haiti tasted their third defeat to the Boyz on the bounce, all without scoring, following this summer’s Gold Cup 1-0 reversal and ousted out of last year’s Caribbean Cup 2-0.
The Boyz return to World Cup action on March 25 when Costa Rica, arguably the strongest side in the group, visit Kingston’s National Stadium with Donaldson potentially the star striker that Schäfer has been hoping to discover.
HAITI: Placide; Bertin, Jaggy, Jerome, Mustivar (Belfort 70); Hilaire, Alexandre (Millien 81), Norde (Guerrier 77), Alcenat; Nazon, Louis. Subs: Odelus, Ceus, J Pierre, Goreux, Monuma Constant, Thurier, G Pierre
JAMAICA: Blake; Lawrence, Hector, Morgan, Mariappa; Phillips, Williamson (Orgill 85), Watson, Powell, McAnuff (Clennon 90); Donaldson (Mattocks 90). Subs: Thompson, Ritchie, Simpson, Harriott, Ottey
Qualifying 4th Round (Round-Robin)
Jamaica’s remaining home matches – Costa Rica (25 March 2016), Haiti (6 September 2016)
Jamaica’s away matches – Costa Rica (29 March 2016), Panama (2 September 2016)
Group A results: El Salvador 0 Canada 0, Honduras 0 Mexico 2
Group B results: Haiti 0 Jamaica 1, Panama 1 Costa Rica 2
Group C results: St. Vincent & Grenadines 0 Guatemala 4, Trinidad & Tobago 0 USA 0
Final Qualifying Round (Round-Robin)
Top two teams from each group will play in a six-team mini-league, with the top three automatically qualifying and the fourth-placed team moving into an inter-Continental play-off.