September 4, 2024
Fatbear has enjoyed several holidays in Anguilla in the past and has covered matches involving their national football team on three occasions, the last being a 0-6 home defeat at the hands of St Martin in the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/09/anguilla-0-6-st-martin-att-xxx-250-est.html
Anguilla Recent Matches
Anguilla went on to lose all four of their group matches without scoring a goal in that Nations League campaign. However, they created history by subsequentially winning a World Cup tie for the first time ever when they eliminated Turks & Caicos in the CONCACAF First Qualifying Round.
A 0-0 draw was played out in Anguilla, but Turks & Caicos took the lead in the return leg through striker and record scorer Billy Forbes, only for Anguilla captain and Uxbridge centre-back Luke Paris to score a penalty on the stroke of half-time. Neither side could grab a winner, so after extra time the match went to penalties. Anguilla’s Kian Duncan, who plays for Sandhurst Town in England, converted the final kick as Anguilla won the shoot-out 4-3 to progress to the second round.
Anguilla found it tough against much higher ranked opponents in their World Cup qualifying group, losing 0-4 at home to Suriname ( ranked 140th ) and then 0-8 in Puerto Rico ( ranked 157th ). They still have to play St Vincent and the Grenadines ( 174th ) and El Salvador ( 81st ).
In the meantime, Anguilla have four Nations League League C games to play against sides much closer to their 209th place in the FIFA rankings, versus Belize ( 183rd ) and Turks & Caicos ( 206th ). Only San Marino are ranked below Anguilla.
Anguilla’s coach is Trinidadian Keith Jeffrey, who previously had two spells in charge of Turks and Caicos.
Turks And Caicos Islands
Like Anguilla, the Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory, with an estimated population of around 50,000 and the main industries being tourism, offshore finance and fishing. The island of Providenciales in the Northwest Caicos Islands has the largest population and the international airport, with most of the tourists heading for Grace Bay and its 5-mile-long beach. However, the capital is Cockburn Town on the island of Grand Turk.
Although nominally a home match for Anguilla, the first three matches in League C Group B are being played at the 3,000 capacity TCIFA National Academy Stadium in Providenciales, whilst the final three matches will be played in Belize.
Today’s match is the first time Turks and Caicos have played since their elimination by Anguilla from the World Cup, and no doubt they would be looking for revenge, as well as picking up some much-needed ranking points to rise in the rankings. The two World Cup matches were the only times these two sides had played each other.
The TCIFA Premier League, also known as the Provo Premier League, currently consists of five clubs who play each other twice in Apertura and Clausura tournaments for a 16-game season, which is typically played between October and April, and matches are played at the TCIFA National Academy Stadium. The 2023/24 champions were Academy Eagles, although SWA Sharks with 4 titles have been the champions the most times.
One footballer from Turks and Caicos has featured in these diaries, namely striker Marc Fenelus who played for Taiwan Steel when Taiwan were amongst the first countries to resume playing after the Covid Pandemic in 2020. Fenelus had played 15 times for TCI but stopped playing after joining Taiwan Steel.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/05/taiwan-steel-0-1-hang-yuen-fc-att-0.html
The coach of Turks and Caicos is former Jamaica goal keeper Aaron Lawrence ( 72 caps ) and who played in their 2-1 victory over Japan in the 1998 World Cup Finals in France.
Matchday Information
Tickets for the match were $23, with VIP tickets priced at $55, although it wasn’t stated what the extra benefits a VIP ticket gave the holder !
The weather at the 15.00 local time kick-off ( 20.00 UK ) was sunny and 31 degrees.
The match was streamed live on the CONCACAF website and You Tube Channel, as well as on Bet365.com, who made Turks & Caicos 5/6 favourites, with Anguilla at 13/5 and the draw at 5/2.
The Anguilla side was missing Luke Paris through injury and Kian Duncan was not named in their squad, also presumably injured. Also, missing was Aedan Scipio who had become a bit of an internet sensational with his hair almost down to his knees.
Both sides started with 6 players that started in the World Cup Second Leg match between the two sides. However, both goalkeepers were different, with Turk & Caicos selecting 14 year old Samuel Harvey between the sticks, whereas Anguilla gave a recall to 41 year old Jelanie Lawrence.
Anguilla took to the field in a kit of white shirts, blue shorts and white socks, whilst Turks and Caicos were in all dark blue with yellow trimmings.
The national anthem for Turks and Caicos was God Save The King although for Anguilla, God Bless Anguilla was played.
The referee and his assistants were from Guatemala.
Match Report
Anguilla started strongly, and in the first minute Hughes was found in space inside the TCI area on the left-hand side, but his shot went across the goal and wide, and stayed in play. Very shortly after a long ball from the Anguilla defence caused confusion in the TCI back-line and Hughes headed back to Carpenter 8 yards out, but his first time volley went narrowly wide.
Turks & Caicos responded with a low cross from the left wing, but Lawrence made confident dive to claim the ball. The hosts won a corner in the 7th minutes, which was well caught at his back post by the Anguilla keeper.
TCI’s first chance of the match came in the 12th minute. Messieur floated a lovely cross-field ball from the right over the Anguilla back four for Junior Paul to run onto but his left-footed volley from 10 yards went many yards over the bar.
Anguilla were forced into making the first substitution of the game in the 17th minute when Javis Jones received a kick from Callum Park and had to leave the pitch on a stretcher, with Cardinae Rennie being the replacement. No card was shown to Park for the foul
Four minutes later Messieur’s cross from the right hung in the wide and Lawrence was able to catch under his cross bar with little pressure being exerted by the TCI forwards.
In the 21st minute, Park eventually received a yellow card, this time for a foul of Kayne Connor. Two minutes later Kieron Lake-Bryan got to the by-line and his pull back found substitute Rennie but his left-footed swipe from 10 yards went high over the bar.
Forbes then did well for TCI to bring the ball down on the edge of the Anguilla area after a left-wing cross had been headed clear, but his left-footed drive went a couple of yards over the bar.
Due to the high temperatures, a water break was taken after 30 minutes.
Anguilla fashioned a great chance in the 33rd minute when Lamar Carpenter ran clear inside the TCI area, but he slightly over-ran the ball and when he finally got it under control, keeper Harvery was able to get a foot to his shot, and Cadet cleared the loose ball.
Anguilla were looking dangerous and four minutes later Francis skipped past Belizaire down the right wing and delivered a great cross, but Messieur was able to get a foot it to put off for a corner before Rennie could tap in at the back post. TCI counter attacked from the corner with Burey’s left footed cross being put off for a corner by Ipinson-Fabien.
Two minutes before the interval Capenter did well to spin past two defenders but after losing possession, he received a yellow card for a late tackle on Belizaire.
In first half added on time, Anguilla pumped a free kick into the TCI area, which was cleared with a scissor kick, but offside already given.
The game remained goal-less at the half-time whistle after an even first half. Although TCI had the better of the possession statistics, Anguilla had the better chances.
The first event of the second period saw Belizaire chop down Lake-Bryan as he ran down the left wing and a yellow card was duly shown. Egham Town’s Kayne Conner took the free-kick, which keeper Harvey could only punch high in the air. Carpenter from beyond the back post managed to direct a header goalwards which hit a defender on the arm, but no was penalty given, just a corner.
At the other end a cross from Burey from right, needed Lawrence to make a diving punch before ball could reach Forbes.
Lake-Bryan was looking dangerous on left for Anguilla but brought down again, this time by Messieur. Connor’s 30 yard free kick was straight at Harvey, but the keeper fumbled the easy catch and Hughes following up, bundled over the line from 6 inches before the unfortunate keeper could recover. 0-1 after 57 minutes.
A minute later Carpenter was played into space down the right channel by Ipinson-Fabien but the shot was weak and an easy save for Harvey to help boost his fragile confidence after his clanger for the opening goal.
TCI briefly threaten when a well worked free kick put Burey into space on the left but his long cross was scrambled clear.
With 63 minutes played Junior Paul clattered into Connor and was very lucky to avoid a second yellow card. Shortly afterwards Anguilla put the ball off for an injury but TCI didn’t return possession from throw-in.
The game was becoming stretched and in the 69th minute a defensive error by Belizaire enabled Carpenter to run into the TCI area, but keeper Harvey made a good save to keep out his shot and Carpenter’s follow-up from the rebound was closer to the corner flag than the goal.
TCI were searching for an equaliser and Forbes turned and shot over from 20 yards, then Jones was thwarted from 10 yards by a great defensive block.
These misses proved costly when following a long ball from Lake-Bryan, Carpenter cashed in on some slack defending by Clervil, who had just come on as a substitute, to turn and shoot left footed just inside the near post. He might have been offside, but the goal stood so it was 0-2 with 73 minutes played.
Despite the game now seemingly appearing to be out of reach, TCI made a spirited response as Martin’s low ball to near post was fumbled by Lawrence under pressure from Forbes for a corner, from which Forbes’ header after running to near post went into side netting.
Keeper Lawrence then saw yellow for taking too long to take a goal-kick and in the 84th minute a good move saw Clervil get to by-line, and although his pull back was blocked, the ball fell to Paul, who could only lash over from 8 yards.
Two minutes later another move down the left saw the ball played back to Forbes, but his hurried shot from edge of area went wide.
Anguilla comfortably saw out the closing stages, and TCI’s Cadet was another recipient of a yellow card for a foul on Hughes mid-way inside TCI half.
The last action saw Rennie receive a lay-off from Smeins, but his 20 yarder was deflected off for a corner.
At the final whistle the statistics showed that TCI had enjoyed 65% of the possession but Anguilla had 5 shots on target compared to one for TCI. Anguilla had made history with their first ever victory in a competitive match and should see their FIFA ranking improve.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZNIqRPB8aQ
Anguilla : Lawrence – Fleming, Loblack, Ipinson-Fabien ( Lloyd ), Francis – Owen, Jones ( Rennie ), Hughes, Kayne Connor, Kieron Lake-Bryan – Carpenter ( Smeins )
Turks and Caicos Islands : Harvey – Magny, Cadet, Belizaire, Evans ( Clervil ) – Messieur ( Louisy ), Park ( Phillips ), Jones, Paul – Forbes, Burey ( Martin )
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