Shaw hat-trick pilots Jamaica team to big win

BROOKLYN, New York (CMC):

A hat-trick by striker Daniel Shaw powered defending champions Jamaica to a 5-0 mauling of the Dominican Republic, in the sixth round of the New York Digicel Caribbean Football Cup on Sunday.

Coming in the final game of the triple header at the Jefferson High School Stadium, the victory was Jamaica's third successive in as many matches in their 2010 campaign.

The New York Reggae Boyz have won the cup for the last five years, and six times in the tournament's 19-year history.

Shaw found the back of the Dominican Republic's net in the 22nd and 25th minutes and returned in the 55th minute to record Jamaica's fourth goal, further battering the Dominican Republic into submission.

Denzil Watson performed the final rites in the 70th minute as the DR clearly had no answer to the Jamaicans' sound ball control, aggression and dexterity.

Earlier, a blast from Roland Dean in the 13th minute deflected from Dominican Republic's defender Raphael Almanzal into the back of the net to give Jamaica their first goal.

Shaw then capitalised on a blunder from the Dominican Republic's goalkeeper Caesar Ramos, to register his first goal.

When a Dominican Republic defender elbowed striker Irvino English over his right eye, Shaw ensured that the penalty was in the bag for his second goal.

The Dominicans acknowledged that they had no answer for the rampaging New York Reggae Boyz.

"We missed a couple of players," head coach Alberto Jiminez told CMC Sports in a post-game interview. "We did the best we could in the circumstances."

His Jamaican counterpart, Arthur 'Jetty' Mikes, said the Dominica Republic left a lot to be desired.

"The opponent was not up to scratch. It was a very soft game," he added, stating that his team was gearing up to capture the cup for an unprecedented sixth consecutive year.

"It's just a matter of time," Mikes continued. "I think we're a better team than last year."

In the other matches on Sunday, St Lucia crushed Colombia 3-0 and Antigua and Barbuda upset St Kitts and Nevis by a similar margin.

Phillip Tisson converted twice and Eddie Bellas once for St Lucia, while Kimoi Alexander scored twice and Verton Harris once for the Antiguans.