DOUBLE STRIKES from Jermaine Johnson and striker Paul Hall led the Reggae Boyz to an easy 4-1 win over hosts Grenada and into next year's second round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup football qualifying tournament at the Grenada National Stadium yesterday.
Johnson, who struck in the eighth and 40th minutes, and Hall (58th and 90th) gave Jamaica a place along side Guadeloupe, who defeated early leaders Barbados 1-0, in Trinidad and Tobago next April.
Henderson Attiene scored in the 75th minute for the hosts who finished the four-team tournament without a point from three games.
The Jamaicans dominated the first half and were rewarded early when Johnson, playing workman-like in the midfield, surprised the Grenadians with his speed and skill to score Jamaica's first goal.
Despite having 90 per cent of the possession in the half, the Reggae Boyz, who were the first English-speaking Caribbean country to qualify for a World Cup finals in France 1998 had to wait another half hour for goal No. 2.
Johnson was right on Patrick Modeste's back when goalkeeper Andrea Batiste threw a ball out to him. Johnson, who plays for Bolton Wanderers in England, intercepted and fired past the 'keeper and Jamaica ended the half 2-0.
Playing a more defensive game, the Jamaicans gave up the opportunity of scoring a bag of goals and the Grenadians took charge for a while. However, against the run of play, Hall tapped in a ball from a Ian Goodison header, which came from a corner kick from Robert Scarlett.
The Grenadians were rewarded for their fighting second-half effort when Attiene slid a ball past Aaron Lawrence in Jamaica's goal but Hall, the leading goalscorer of the tournament with four, added his second of the game when he scored from deflection after the 'keeper failed to hold on to an Omar Daley cracker to seal the deal.
Jamaica team: Aaron Lawrence, Ian Goodison, Claude Davis, Tyrone Marshall, Robert Scarlett, Craig Ziadie, Richard Langley (Omar Daley 89th), Fitzroy Simpson, Jermaine Johnson (Andy Williams 46th) Paul Hall and Fabian Taylor (Linval Dixon 85th).
