Dwight Nelson, Gleaner Writer

Clennon

André Clennon scored a hat-trick to inspire the Reggae Boyz to a 5-1 win over National Premier League outfit Waterhouse Football Club, in a warm-up football game at Brancourt in Clarendon, yesterday.

René Simoes, coach of the Boyz, said: "We played the ball with the brain and not with aggression, so this is the reason why we outscored our opponents and did not end up with any injuries today."

The game, as added preparation for Jamaica ahead of next week Wednesday's World Cup qualifier in Canada, was very interesting, with Waterhouse exerting a lot of aggression and the Boyz maintaining composure to penetrate their opponents' goal area almost at will.

Kavin Bryan got a chance to put the Boyz in the lead in the fifth minute after midfielder Ricardo Cousins played the ball into Waterhouse's 18-yard box, but the striker headed over the goal.

Marco McDonald received a red card in the 14th minute after he slapped Bryan in the face.

Jermaine Hue gave the Boyz lead in the 35th minute, following a misunderstanding in the Waterhouse goal area between goalkeeper Richard McCallum and defenders Lance Dacosta and Oniel Thompson. The ball rebounded to Hue, who fired into the goal.

Cousins then put his name on the scorecard in the 42nd minute, after Eric Vernon dribbled to the edge of Waterhouse box before kicking the ball into the area for the former to score a spectacular header.

With the exception of defender Jeff Pearce, Waterhouse came out with a changed squad for the second half. The Boyz, however, continued to penetrate their goal area.

First touch

Clennon, a second-half substitute, scored with his first touch. He picked up a pass in the 18-yard box and fired a cracker past substitute goalkeeper, Kelso Cousins.

Deveron Clarke, however, put Waterhouse on the scorecard in the 80th minute. Four minutes later, Clennon scored his second goal when he collected a ball in the box and blasted another powerful shot into goal.

His third came in the 90th minute after he caught the defenders flat-footed midway the Waterhouse half, before dribbling past goalkeeper Cousins.

Waterhouse's fitness trainer, Michael Brady, said: "What we are doing is trying to make a squad with youths from all over. Our whole aim is to put a squad together after these practice games so that we can have a full squad together in training to gel for the season."

The Boyz will face off with Portmore in another friendly at Brancourt on Thursday.