Guadeloupe fend off late push from Barbados

GUADELOUPE. - Guadeloupe topped Barbados 2-1 on Sunday night at the Stade
Rene Serge Nabajoth, with a pair of first half goals that were enough to survive a late rally by the visitors and move into a tie atop Group A of Concacaf Nations League B.

Guadeloupe took the lead through Thierry Ambrose in the sixth minute. Guadeloupe DF Nathanael Saintini put a cross into the box that just missed MF Quentin Annette, but Ambrose arrived at the back post and put his shot into the roof of the net.The lead was 2-0 in the 27th minute, with Guadeloupe MF Matthias Phaeton stepping up and converting a penalty past Barbados GK Kishmar Primus.

Barbados DF Krystian Pearce was whistled for a foul on the edge of the box on Ambrose. Barbados responded in the second half and netted its first goal of this edition of the CNL in the 59th minute.

A corner kick was taken shortly, then came in and took a bounce in the box, allowing Barbados FW Keon Atkins to put a looping header toward the net that beat Guadeloupe GK Brice Cognard.

The Bajan Tridents had another pair of looks at Cognard’s net shortly after the goal, with Atkins’ right-footed shot that saw Cognard make a save with his legs perhaps the best.

Guadeloupe looked to put the game out of reach in the 80th minute when a corner kick fell to Saintini at the back post with the net open.

The defender looked to dive and get his head onto the ball to push it into the open net but couldn’t get the effort on target.

The win was all but secured in the 90th minute, when Barbados DF Akeem Hill was shown a direct red card for pulling Guadeloupe FW Gregory Gendrey down on a breakaway to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

Guadeloupe now is tied with Cuba at the top of the group, while Barbados will have to wait until March to try and find its first points in this edition of the CNL.