Aussies clip Boyz 2-1


READING, England -- It was the goalkeeping heroics of Donovan Ricketts that spared Jamaica's Reggae Boyz from a more embarrassing defeat against Australia and kept the score to a conservative 2-1 in favour of the Socceroos at the Madejski Stadium here yesterday.

Marco Bresciano nudged Australia into the lead in the 19th minute, with Charlton Athletic's Kevin Lisbie putting Jamaica on even terms in the 22nd. The irrepressible Liverpool frontman, Harry Kewell, put the icing on the cake in the 58th and was only kept from adding to that strike by the brilliance of Ricketts.

Before the kick-off, technical director, Carl Brown, was faced with a huge dilemma as he was missing key midfielders Theodore Whitmore, Richard Langley and Micah Hyde, and had to improvise. His plans were working for the first 45 minutes, but collapsed when the slick, fast moving Aussies roamed the middle of the pitch with little or no resistance.

Forwards, Trevor Benjamin and Lisbie, had to be converted into midfield men to join regulars Omar Daley and Ricardo Gardner.

There was a bit of disjoint in the defence as well as with anchorman, Claude Davis, who was out through injury. Frank Sinclair, Craig Ziadie, Tyrone Marshall and Michael Johnson formed a back four that struggled -- especially towards the end -- to keep Kewell, Mark Viduka, Bresciano and Scott Chipperfield away from their bombarded goalie.

Despite all of this, Brown believed the effort of the Reggae Boyz was a good one. 'It was a fairly good game, one in which we expected them to be as strong as they were out there ... but then again we took a long time to settle down, but when we did we played well and did that for the rest of the first half,' Brown said.

It was Bresciano who threatened first in the seventh minute when he was found open, but his scorching grounder skipped dangerously wide.

Three minutes later, Gardner took up the gauntlet and ploughed his way into the heart of the Australian defence, but failed to get a shot off.

And in the 16th, Gardner was at it again when he dispossessed Australia captain, Paul Okon, but his driven left-foot shot sailed marginally high.

While Sinclair did a fairly good job to keep Leeds' Viduka quiet for the most part, he could not stop the bulky forward from setting up the opening goal of the contest. Viduka, unmarked on the edge of Jamaica's goal area, chipped a delightful ball for Kewell, whose left-footed blast rebounded for Bresciano to drive home from 17 yards.

But in what seemed less than a heartbeat later, Ricardo Fuller -- full of pace, magic and determination -- demolished the Australian left flank, leaving an army of trailing defenders in his wake before forcing Mark Schwarzer to parry his low drive onto the boot of an onrushing Lisbie, who made no mistake from six yards.

A few minutes later Fuller repeated the dance down the right side, but his delicate, well-measured pass to Trevor Benjamin was skied from just inside the penalty area.

Kewell -- smooth, crafty and speedy -- nearly push his team ahead, but Ricketts acrobatically steered his left-foot drive over the horizontal to the relief of the thousands of cheering Jamaican spectators who greatly outnumbered their Aussie counterparts.

When Fuller was substituted at half-time for Jermaine Johnson, Jamaica's attacking zest went with him, which totally switched all the goalmouth action in front of the Jamaican frame.

Brown declared later that Fuller was withdrawn because the Preston North End frontman was feeling a niggling pain in his troublesome knee.

With 57 minutes on the clock, the Australians began to rip to shreds not only Jamaica's struggling midfield, but the defensive unit as well. An eye-catching combination involving Josip Skoko, Chipperfield and Viduka put the tormenting Kewell alone with Ricketts, but his well-struck volley from 17-yards was cuddled by the outstanding Jamaican 'keeper.

Towards the end, Ricketts was there to deny Kewell yet again from close range and minutes later, he brilliantly saved Bresciano's blistering right-foot drive from inside the 18-yard box.

The Australians made sure of the win when Kewell was played a through ball from the middle of the park. The Liverpool striker outsped Frank Sinclair, Tyrone Marshall and Ziadie before expertly slotting past an advancing Ricketts.

Australia's coach, Frank Farina, said he was satisfied 'the boys did enough to win', and that he was impressed with the Reggae Boyz.

'I think they are a good side ... they have a lot of good individual players who are very quick, very strong. They are learning as we are and if they keep playing together, they will be a better side,' Farina said.

Jamaica-- Donovan Ricketts, Craig Ziadie, Frank Sinclair, Tyrone Marshall (Onandi Lowe 77th), Michael Johnson, Omar Daley, Ricardo Gardner, Ricardo Fuller (Jermaine Johnson - 46th), Barry Hayles (Fabian Taylor 69th), Trevor Benjamin (Damion Stewart 59th) and Kevin Lisbie (Jamal Campbell-Ryce 79th).

Booked: Gardner (73rd)

Australia -- Mark Schwarzer (Zeljko Kalac - 46th), Kevin Muscatt, Tony Vidmar, Lucas Neill, Paul Okon, Harry Kewell, Josip Skoko, Marco Bresciano, Steve Laybutt, Scott Chipperfield and Mark Viduka (Mile Sterjovski 85th).

Booked: Laybutt (23rd)

Referee: Andy D'Urso

Assistants: A Green and R Desmond

Fourth Official: L Cable



SEAN A WILLIAMS,
Jamaica Observer staff reporter
Monday, September 08, 2003

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