Gibraltar defender Jayce Olivero will approach Monday night’s Euro 2024 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland as “a final” as the minnows look to add to Stephen Kenny’s misery.

The clash between the sides currently occupying the bottom two places in Group B at the Aviva Stadium could prove make or break for Kenny after Friday’s 2-1 defeat in Greece left his team pointless and with his critics once again on the offensive.

Gibraltar, who are ranked 201st by FIFA, have lost each of their three opening fixtures against the Greeks, the Netherlands and France 3-0 and while the odds may be heavily stacked against them in Dublin, Europa defender Olivero is relishing the task ahead.

He said: “The game for us is a final. Ireland are a great nation and a really, really big team, and they’ve always competed at the very top.

“This is what we want. We want to compete against the very best and we prepare with everything we have for every game we have, and that’s what we’re looking to do in our next game.

“We compete with everything we have and that’s the most important thing for us.”

Ireland were decidedly second-best in Athens as they followed up a 1-0 home defeat by France in their opening fixture – in which they produced a spirited display – with a tepid performance.

Asked if Gibraltar could capitalise on the fall-out from that game, manager Jose Ribas said: “It’s important that we focus on our game.

“Ireland are a great side regardless of their form at the moment. We’ve seen them playing against Greece, we’ve seen them playing against France and they’ve put in good performances.

“We respect them, they’re a great side.”

Ribas, who has been in charge since 2018, has assimilated a new generation of players into his squad, but has retained vast experience with defender Roy Chipolina, 40, and 41-year-old striker Lee Casciaro starting against France and 37-year-old Scott Wiseman, who enjoyed a 13-year career in English league football, coming off the bench.

Asked how important that experience to his team, the Uruguayan said: “It’s obviously very important.

“We’ve got 23 players – some who are unfortunately not with the squad now – some of whom have played right through from Under-17s level, and of course it’s very important to have these very experienced players who have been through a lot with Gibraltar.

“We’ve only been admitted to UEFA very recently and it’s great that these young players have that experience to help them. We believe with that, they will grow.”

Commentator Peter Drury is joining Sky Sports to cover the Premier League from next season following Martin Tyler’s departure.

Tyler, who had spearheaded Sky’s coverage of the competition since it launched in 1992, is stepping down from his role ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

After Drury’s arrival was confirmed on Sunday, he said in a statement: “I’m massively excited to be joining Sky’s outstanding roster of commentators.

“To be working on the best games week in week out with a broadcaster that has told the Premier League story since the very beginning feels like the opportunity of my career and I can’t wait to get started.”

Sky Sports director of football Gary Hughes said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Peter Drury to Sky Sports.

“Peter’s one of the game’s most poetic commentators and will bring great energy and enthusiasm as well as his award-winning broadcasting experience to our unrivalled coverage of the Premier League.”

Drury, who has more than 30 years of experience across TV and radio, has previously worked for the BBC, ITV, Premier League Productions and BT Sport.

He has been named Football Supporters’ Association Commentator of the Year for three of the last four seasons, and won the Sports Journalists’ Association Sports Commentator of the Year award in 2020.

Alongside his work for Sky, he will also continue his role providing commentary on NBC’s Premier League coverage in the United States.

Wales are back in Euro 2024 qualifying action away to Turkey on Monday.

Rob Page’s side are bidding to recover from their shock home defeat to Armenia on Friday against the Group D leaders.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points surrounding the crunch game in Samsun.

Page must strike right balance

This time last year Wales boss Page was basking in the glow of guiding Wales to their first World Cup for 64 years. How times have changed.

Wales have won only once in 11 games and Page’s tactics have come under intense scrutiny.

Reverting to three at the back and playing two holding midfielders in front of them might provide Wales with the solidity they have so woefully lacked over the past 12 months.

Counter-attack best form of defence

There is no Kieffer Moore after the Bournemouth targetman was sent off against Armenia to earn a ban.

Moore’s absence might actually work in Wales’ favour in this instance should Page bolster his defence and pack the midfield.

That could give Wales a strong base to release the pace of Brennan Johnson and Daniel James on the break.

Should Danny ward off Wayne?

Danny Ward’s miserable season suffered further indignity as four goals flashed past him in Armenia’s stunning Cardiff success.

Ward’s struggle for form at relegated Leicester saw him lose his place there towards the end of the season and his confidence levels must be a real concern for Page.

Wayne Hennessey is the obvious replacement but the 108-times capped veteran – sent off on his last appearance at the World Cup in Qatar – has spent most of the season warming the bench at Nottingham Forest.

Revenge or repeat?

The two nations have met seven times with Wales winning four games to Turkey’s two and one draw.

Their last meeting came two years ago as Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts scored in a 2-0 Wales victory at the delayed 2020 European Championship, securing qualification for the knockout stage at Turkey’s expense.

So Turkey have that extra motivation of avenging that Baku defeat in front of what is sure to be a volatile crowd at the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadium.

Balance of power

This contest has the appearance of a defining fixture to make next summer’s European Championship finals in Germany.

Wales’ promising start with four points from two games, which included a bonus draw away to group favourites Croatia, was blown apart by the Armenia defeat.

Turkey are now on the front foot after grabbing a stoppage-time winner to beat Latvia 3-2 on Friday, and victory would take them five points clear of Wales in a potential race behind Croatia for the second qualifying spot.

Sunderland have announced the signing of striker Luis Hemir Silva Semedo on a five-year contract.

The 19-year-old arrives from Benfica for an undisclosed fee having featured for their B team and under-23 side over the last two seasons, scoring 28 goals in 61 appearances.

Following his arrival at the Stadium of Light, Hemir told the club website: “This is a big move for me and I am very excited to be here.

“Sunderland have a lot of young players playing an important part in the team and I think this will be really good for my personal development. I’m excited to meet my new team mates, see the stadium and experience the fans.”

A defiant Stephen Kenny has vowed to press on with his Republic of Ireland mission despite seeing his hopes of Euro 2024 qualification torn to shreds in Greece.

Friday night’s defeat in Athens – coupled with a 1-0 reverse at the hands of World Cup finalists France in Dublin in their opening fixture – means the odds are even more heavily stacked against Ireland that they were when they were initially pitched into Group B battle with both Didier Deschamps’ men and the Netherlands.

For Kenny, who took over as manager in 2020 and targeted qualification in this campaign as his initial end goal, a return of just four wins in 23 competitive matches has refuelled the fires of his critics and anything less than a comprehensive victory over minnows Gibraltar on Monday evening would represent the final straw for many.

However, asked if he was concerned about his future, the 51-year-old replied: “I’m disappointed with the game. I hear what you’re saying – I’m disappointed with the game, I’m not concerned about myself at the moment.

“I have to get ready for Monday now and just get the squad ready for the game against Gibraltar, which is a game of course that we have to win. We have to make sure that we’re ready.”

It is not the first time during his reign that Kenny has felt the need to voice similar sentiments after being asked similar questions and that is a reflection of the success or otherwise of a project which has laudable aims, but is short on tangible results.

He has made it his aim to produce a team which plays enterprising, attacking football and handed that responsibility in part to players plucked from the under-21 ranks.

However at the OPAP Arena, 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson, who has enjoyed a stellar season in the Premier League with Brighton, was starved of meaningful possession as Kenny’s midfield was overrun and his defence dismantled with Trabzonspor’s Tasos Bakasetas and Olympiakos midfielder Giorgos Masouras their principal tormentors.

A downbeat Kenny said: “We didn’t create enough chances, we didn’t and that was disappointing. We had efforts on goal, but we needed to create more than we did.

“But because we’d given them that goal after half-time, they could sit off a little bit and just protect it and hit us on the counter then for periods, so we made life difficult for ourselves.”

Opposite number Gus Poyet analysed Ireland closely as he prepared for the game, but admitted the rigours of international football can take their toll on even the best-laid plans.

Poyet said: “I understand the situation because when we were analysing the Republic of Ireland, we had the impression that you were really playing football with the ball on the floor, playing through the thirds, going wide, putting players in the box and I was happy because of the way that you played.

“And then there were other games where depending on the result, you become ‘the Republic of Ireland’, with all due respect. You depend on a corner, you depend on a long ball, you depend on a second and a third ball.

“But it’s tough boys, it’s tough. I remember many games with the national team where I was on the pitch thinking, ‘How are we going to win this’?”

Jonny Evans said Northern Ireland’s 1-0 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Denmark was “hard to take” after he was adjudged to be offside when setting up Callum Marshall for what had appeared to be a stoppage-time equaliser.

The 1,700 travelling fans inside the Parken Stadium erupted when teenage debutant Marshall neatly directed Evans’ header inside the post following Jordan Thompson’s free-kick.

But when referee Daniel Stefanski signalled there would be a VAR check, a seemingly interminable five-minute wait followed as Tomasz Kwiatkowski took an age to review the footage before eventually ruling that Evans had been offside by the tightest of margins when Thompson struck the free-kick.

“I kind of felt I was coming back from an offside position but it wasn’t until we were back in our own half that I even considered it might be a thing,” Evans said.

“When they were checking for that long I thought they were going to something to try and disallow it. Those were the emotions going through my mind.

“I’ve been involved before where decisions take a long time but that’s definitely the longest. The longer it was going on I kind of felt it was like a dream really. It was strange. The referee tried to explain afterwards that they checked every single possible scenario.

“I don’t get many assists and I was gutted and I was obviously gutted for Callum. For him to be able to experience that feeling of scoring was great and I hope that stays with him and he can take motivation from it.”

The trip to Copenhagen represented the toughest fixture on paper for Northern Ireland in Group H, and they acquitted themselves well, defending doggedly for long periods and soaking up pressure from the hosts.

But a mistake from Ciaron Brown – about the only foot the Oxford defender put wrong – was punished by Jonas Wind at the start of the second half and that proved the difference in the match.

“It is hard to take,” Evans said. “Denmark are obviously buzzing. Had it gone our way we would have been the same. You can run all that through.

“In the last five or 10 minutes we tired but I thought we did well. We were brought on fresh legs to try and get something out of the game and we nearly did. When we got the free-kick I thought this is our chance…

“I thought we did what we had to do. We came in at half-time pretty pleased. We knew the first 10 minutes of the second half would be important and it was disappointing to concede a goal.

“I looked up at the clock and saw 47 minutes. We really needed to ride that out but they came out strong and quick and once they got their goal it wasn’t really until they changed their shape that we had a chance to get back in it.”

Connor Roberts hopes he can help ignite more favourable memories for Wales in their key Euro 2024 qualifier against Turkey.

Monday’s clash in Samsun has gained added significance following Wales’ shock 4-2 home defeat against Armenia that left them third in Pool D, two points behind Turkey.

While the group still has a long way to run, Wales’ automatic qualification hopes will be dealt another setback if they suffer a second successive loss.

Wales delivered, though, against Turkey at Euro 2020, with Burnley right-back Roberts scoring in a 2-0 victory in Baku.

“To jog the memory of what I did at the Euros will be brilliant,” Roberts said.

“But that is in the past and I have to create more memories as an individual and as a team.

“It is the goal when everything is said and done that I will probably look back on and think I can’t believe I achieved that or did that.

“They (Turkey) might be out for revenge, but whether they are or not we have to go there and stick to what we are good at.

“It has been a long time since then. I don’t really remember games I lost in the past.”

Roberts is back on the international stage after an outstanding season with Burnley that saw them clinch the Championship title and secure a Premier League return.

And Roberts has hailed the influence of Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, who recently signed a new five-year contract with the Clarets.

“I can’t express how good Vincent and his staff are. To know they are going to be there going forwards is brilliant because you learn so much from them,” he said.

“I thought I knew quite a lot about football, about how to play and what to do. But this season working with them, now I know a lot more.

“When I watch games now, almost the messages he portrays come into your head. You know what to do in every situation, from build-up to attack to defending in different parts of the pitch.

“I feel like 99 per cent of the time when the ball is on the pitch or at a set-piece I know what I am supposed to be doing. You know what you should be doing in every moment of the game.

“I watch Manchester City, and we aren’t them, but I see massive similarities in the way we are asked to play.

“We might not be able to do it as good as they can, but you do see similarities. I think Vincent will go and have that Man City job one day.”

Kenny McLean savoured a special moment in his career after his last-gasp winner earned Scotland a crucial three Euro 2024 qualifying points from a 2-1 victory in Norway.

McLean struck a composed 89th-minute finish with his right foot 10 minutes after coming off the bench and two minutes after Lyndon Dykes had cancelled out Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute opener from the penalty spot.

Left midfielder McLean said: “It was pretty special, a really good moment for everyone involved and obviously for the fans that travelled – it was amazing, I can hear them outside now.

“Obviously I have only had the San Marino goal previously so I am delighted to score such a meaningful goal.

“I don’t know if I was too happy with Dykesy – setting me up on my right – but thankfully it worked. It doesn’t come out much but thankfully it paid off.”

McLean was part of a triple change from manager Steve Clarke which also saw Billy Gilmour and Stuart Armstrong come on, after Liam Cooper had earlier replaced the fatigued Kieran Tierney.

The Norwich player said: “The manager is constantly going about the squad, it’s a squad game and that’s what we are always about.

“The majority of times we make four or five subs so everyone needs to be ready and thankfully the lads that came on were.

“We have worked for the last couple of weeks together, we had the camp in Spain and worked hard throughout, so to get the rewards is excellent.”

Dykes was delighted with his goal and assist after a challenging night up front on his own in temperatures of about 30 degrees at kick-off.

The QPR striker said: “It was a tough game. They played well. We didn’t play as well as we wanted to play but I was waiting for that opportunity all night and I was just happy to see it go in.

“It’s a hard position sometimes, it doesn’t always go your way. Balls were coming up to me, flying everywhere and they were probably getting the better of me. But I was trying to keep my head and wait for the opportunity.

“I have to keep rolling on and hopefully when the chances come, they go in because the ball rolling in that goal was the slowest thing I have ever seen in my life and I was having a heart attack. I was just happy to see it go over the line.

“And obviously when Kenny scored, it was the icing on the cake.”

Scotland extended their lead at the top of Group A but face a quick turnaround before Tuesday’s visit of Georgia.

McLean said: “It was a massive step for us in the group but we have a lot of work to do and we have a game in a few days.

“We will enjoy this now but we need to go and recover. Nobody wants to hear it but that’s what we have to do.”

Scotland manager Steve Clarke hailed the character and depth in his squad following their sensational late Euro 2024 qualifying comeback in Oslo.

Clarke’s men stunned Norway with an unlikely turnaround as goals from Lyndon Dykes and substitute Kenny McLean in the final four minutes of normal time earned the Group A leaders a 2-1 victory.

McLean was one of three changes Clarke made in the 79th minute and it proved just in time after Scotland struggled to pose a threat and fell behind to Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute penalty after the striker went down when Ryan Porteous got hold of his shirt.

With Spain not playing, Scotland extended their lead at the top of Group A and moved eight points ahead of third seeds Norway.

Clarke said: “I was pleased with the performance, we were disciplined and passed it quite well at times.

“Obviously, you have got to soak up a lot of pressure against a good Norwegian team. And we never stopped believing. We keep going to the end and got our rewards.

“It says a lot about the character, the spirit, the quality from the bench. One of the things I keep banging on about with this group of players, the quality we have got, they want to do well for their country.

“And when I turn to the bench and I know I need to make changes to freshen it up, I am putting top-quality players on the pitch.

“It was just about getting the timing right. After losing the goal, I felt it was better just to stay in the fight for a little bit to make sure the game didn’t run away from us.

“After that we had to chase the game, it was pretty logical – you are going to take off a defender and push John McGinn a little bit further forward.

“We brought Kenny to the game, Billy Gilmour to the game, brought Stuart Armstrong to the game, fresh legs to try and get forward and they were involved in most of the best things towards the end of the game.

“Even Dominic (Hyam) comes on at the end and sticks his head on a couple. Congratulations to Dominic, first cap, not a bad place to do it, not a bad score.”

Scotland’s win already puts them in a strong position with a perfect record ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Georgia, which will mark the halfway point in the campaign.

Clarke said: “If we want to qualify for major tournaments, you know you have to go away from home against good teams and pick up points. This is three points which is big but we have to go again.

“They are all in there recovering in an ice bath and we have to make sure we get three points on Tuesday to capitalise. It sets us up nicely for Tuesday, I am not looking beyond that.”

Porteous is suspended for Tuesday after picking up a yellow card but Kieran Tierney could feature despite hobbling off, not long after the opener.

When asked how the Arsenal defender was, Clarke said: “Tired. Just tired. He didn’t join us for the training camp. Not released by his club.

“He joined us at the start of this week and felt a bit of tightness in his quad so we just protected him all week.

“To get a good hour out of the lad was fantastic and shows that everybody is prepared to put their body on the line. And then we are bringing on Liam Cooper who is a top-quality defender.”

Norway manager Stale Solbakken – whose side were left bottom of the group – bemoaned the turning point of the game when his defender’s interception fell for Dykes to nudge home.

“It was an accident for Leo Ostigrad. I think it was cramp in both legs at the same time,” he said. “That’s how it is, we can’t blame him for that. I will have to take the blame for not substituting him if it was like that.

“We are in a very difficult position.”

Dejan Kulusevski has completed a permanent transfer to Tottenham from Juventus.

The Sweden international arrived in north London on an 18-month loan in January 2022 and has been influential during what has been a difficult period for Spurs.

He scored and registered an assist on his first start, a 3-2 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad in February last year, and has gone on to net seven goals in 57 appearances for the club.

The initial loan deal included an option for Spurs to make a deal for the 23-year-old permanent for a reported £29.9million if certain conditions were met.

His performances in the Premier League during 2022 were recognised with him receiving the award for best Swedish male player for the year.

Prior to joining Tottenham, he played 55 times in Serie A for Juventus whom he joined from his first club Atalanta following a loan spell at Parma.

Kenny McLean scored a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Scotland in Norway as the visitors turned their Euro 2024 qualifier on its head with two goals in as many minutes.

Scotland were trailing to Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute penalty and had barely posed a threat before Lyndon Dykes capitalised on some hesitancy in the Norwegian defence to nudge the ball home after John McGinn’s attempted through ball had been intercepted.

The Group A leaders soon ensured they continued their perfect start to the campaign when Dykes laid McGinn’s pass back to substitute McLean, who curled a low shot just inside the far post.

The visitors wore black armbands in memory of Gordon McQueen, who scored his fifth and final international goal in a 4-0 win in the same stadium in 1979 on the previous occasion the teams met in a European Championship qualifier.

And they provided a fitting tribute to the 30-times capped centre-back with a sensational comeback victory.

Jack Hendry was handed possibly the most difficult task in world football at the moment when he was drafted in to play at the heart of a back three tasked with stopping Haaland.

The Club Brugge defender was the only change to the team that beat Spain in March after Grant Hanley dropped out with a serious Achilles injury.

The best chance of the first half fell to Norway forward Alexander Sorloth, who sent a free header from eight yards straight at Angus Gunn.

Scotland struggled to retain possession in the opening 20 minutes before settling down somewhat.

Andy Robertson produced two good runs and crosses but they did not lead to anything and McGinn was closed down quickly after getting a sight of goal following Ryan Christie’s cross.

Steve Clarke’s side were employing a flat back five out of possession and trying to keep a high line. The only time Haaland got the ball in a decent position in the first half, Callum McGregor quickly tracked back to make a penalty-box tackle.

The striker might have had a far better chance if he had not been hauled down by Hendry while beginning a chase for a ball over the top.

Hendry was the last defender but only received a yellow card given the foul was on the halfway line.

The Slovenian referee was a lot harsher in handing bookings to McGinn and Kieran Tierney either side of half-time.

Ola Solbakken and McGinn saw decent long-range shots saved early in the second half before Hendry got away with some penalty-box grappling with Haaland, although the striker did not appeal unlike some of his team-mates.

However, he did not have long to wait for a spot-kick. Ryan Porteous grabbed the striker’s shirt as he looked set to attack Sorloth’s cross and the referee immediately pointed to the spot when Haaland went down.

Porteous in return received a yellow card which rules him out of Tuesday’s visit of Georgia.

Gunn dived the right way and came close but was beaten by the power of the strike from Haaland, who had only scored once in his previous eight club matches but took his tally for the season for club and country to 59.

Scotland soon lost Tierney to injury with Liam Cooper entering the fray and they were making no inroads into Norway’s lead before Clarke made a triple switch in the 79th minute and moved to a back four. McLean, Stuart Armstrong and Billy Gilmour came on.

Haaland went off in the 84th minute and Scotland soon stunned the hosts and delighted their travelling fans with their late double whammy.

Matt Doherty has leapt to the defence of Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny after their Euro 2024 qualifying defeat in Greece thrust him into the firing line once again.

A 2-1 reverse at the OPAP Arena in Athens left Ireland without a point from their opening two fixtures and knowing their chances of escaping a group, which also includes World Cup runners-up France and traditional European superpower the Netherlands, have receded dramatically.

Kenny once again finds himself under intense pressure as a result, but asked if he was still the right man for the job, Doherty said: “Of course. We are prepared unbelievably well, they do everything for us.

“I was just saying behind the scenes, the staff, the manager, (assistant managers) Keith (Andrews), Sheasy (John O’Shea), Deano (goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely), for me they are absolutely the right people.

“I don’t even know if there is speculation, is there?”

When informed that there was, he added: “For me, that shouldn’t be the case. The are absolutely the right people for the job. Nobody can prepare us as well as they have and will continue to do.”

Kenny and his players had spent nine days in Turkey preparing for a game which was always going to be key to their qualification hopes, although all the work they did was blown out of the water in Athens by collective and individual under-performance and costly mistakes.

Doherty said: “Zero excuses. Everything was laid out for us, the way to beat them and we just didn’t play well.”

The former Tottenham and Atletico Madrid full-back’s night ended in particularly-disappointing fashion when he was sent off in stoppage time for a push on Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas amid a bad-tempered scuffle.

He said: “I don’t really know what happened. I thought I walked into him with my chest. I don’t known if it was a red card.”

Doherty will be suspended for Monday night’s clash with Gibraltar in Dublin as a result, but in the longer term, is seeking a new club after leaving Atletico Madrid as a free agent after a difficult spell in Spain during the second half of last season.

He said: “I really enjoyed it, great set of lads, good changing room, a different experience completely.

“Obviously I didn’t play anywhere near the number of games I wanted to, but the experience – it was worth the six months.

“My family is in England and I’d like to go back to my family, but I am not opposed to any kind of challenge wherever that is.”

“Let’s play football!” was the message from former Reggae Boyz coach Rene Simoes as he announced that he will be in the island on July 16 at the Porus Football Festival in Manchester.

Simoes, who famously led the Reggae Boyz to their first, and only so far, FIFA World Cup berth at the 1998 showcase in France.

Simoes says he will be joined in Manchester by some members of that famous team.

“Dear Jamaicans, I have an invitation for all of you. Sunday, July 16, I will be in the Porus community in Manchester for the Porus Festival. I’ll be there and I want to play too,” said the 70-year old Brazilian in a video message on social media on Friday.

“Many of my former players from the national team in 1998 will be there too. Let’s play football! Let’s make it a beautiful celebration for the 25^th anniversary of our qualification to the 1998 World Cup in France. See you there. Maximum respect,” he added.

Simoes had two spells as head coach of the Jamaica national team. He was the Reggae Boyz head man from 1994-2000 in his first spell then returned to lead the team in 2008.

St. Kitts & Nevis, Martinique and Guadeloupe all advanced as action got underway in Concacaf Gold Cup qualifying at the DRV PNK stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Friday.

In the first match of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims, Guadeloupe defeated Antigua and Barbuda 5-0 to move within one game of reaching the Gold Cup group stage for the fifth time in their history. 

Joshua Parker had the first good chance of the game for Antigua and Barbuda in the 11th minute but was unable to keep his shot on target. After that, the first half was largely controlled by Guadeloupe. Thierry Ambrose had two thunderous shots, but both were parried away by Antigua GK Nicholas Townsend. 

The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Steven Solvet directed a corner kick into the back of the net with a towering header. It was Les Gwada Boys’ first goal against Antigua and Barbuda since 2010, after being shut out twice during the recent Nations League B tournament.

Just seconds before halftime, Andreaw Gravillon curled a free kick around the Antigua and Barbuda wall and off the post. The ball fell right to Jordan Tell, who tapped in to double the lead to 2-0 heading into the break.

It was more of the same after halftime. Tell had another close-range effort in the 55th minute but this time Townsend made a fantastic save to keep the Benna Boys in the game. It must be said that Townsend was nothing short of exceptional this afternoon.

Mohammed Hakeem had a breakaway with a chance to pull one back for Antigua in the 63rd minute but placed his shot just a few feet wide of the near post. However, the game was put to bed soon after in the 66th minute when Steven Davidas’ nifty chip beat Townsend and made it 3-0.

Luther Archimede would add a fourth, his first international goal, in the 70th minute. Guadeloupe would see out the rest of the game for a clean sheet, and Matthias Phaeton blasted home the fifth and final goal in the 93rd minute.

Les Gwada Boys will face the winner of Guyana-Grenada on Tuesday in the second preliminary round.

The day’s second game saw Martinique move one step closer to returning to the Gold Cup group stage with a hard fought 3-1 victory over Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucia came out aggressively and threatened twice in the opening six minutes with two long balls. Andrus Remy was just barely offside on the first and Dominic Alfred-Poleon’s attempt was blocked moments after. The tone was immediately set: this would not be a League A team easily overpowering a League C one.

Martinique would draw first blood in the 18th minute. Karl Fabien received the ball just inside the penalty area and coolly finished past Saint Lucia GK Vino Barclett into the side netting by the far post.

Martinique’s Kevin Fortune had an excellent chance to make it 2-0 in the 25th minute after a lovely give-and-go with Anthony Brighton Labeau, but his first touch was just a hair too strong and he wound up putting the ball over the top of the net.

But Saint Lucia were not going to go away quietly. A looping corner kick saw the ball fall to Reeco Hackett-Fairchild, and he took his chance expertly. A blast passed out-of-position Martinique GK Yannis Clementia knotted the game all up at 1-1 in the 40th minute.

Martinique nearly re-took the lead in the 56th minute when Labeau poked a ball towards goal from close range, but Barclett made a sensational diving stop to keep things even. 

Labeau would get his goal though, on a flexible finish in the 74th minute. Enrick Reuperne’s cross was just slightly behind, but Labeau was able to stretch back and get solid contact on the ball to give Martinique a 2-1 lead.

Despite a spirited effort from Saint Lucia to equalize, Patrick Burner would seal the deal for Martinique on the other end with a third goal in the 85th minute. 

Martinique will play the winner of Puerto Rico and Suriname on Tuesday for a spot in Group C alongside Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama.

In the final match of the day in the 2023 Gold Cup Prelims, Saint Kitts and Nevis got two saves from GK Julani Archibald to eliminate Curacao 3-2 in a hectic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation.

The Sugar Boyz found themselves with a very early breakaway, with Jacob Hazel getting the ball behind the defense in just the third minute of play, but Curacao’s Leandro Bacuna was able to track back and run him down before Hazel could fire off a shot.

But it was Curaçao who struck first. Jurgen Locadia let loose a low strike from the top of the penalty area in the 22nd minute that just barely made it past Archibald, brushing off his fingertips but not hard enough to change trajectory. It was Locadia’s first international goal and gave Curacao a 1-0 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Sugar Boyz again came right out of the gates with a good chance. Omari Sterling-James had a very solid effort from long range in the 49th minute that Curacao GK Eloy Room was forced to parry away.

The game settled into a pattern reminiscent of the first half, with Curacao largely in control but unable to break through with any truly excellent chances. Archibald deserves plaudits for his safe hands; he caught several balls that would have been quite dangerous had he allowed a rebound.

The moment of the evening came in the 83rd minute. Tiquanny Williams cut the ball back towards the penalty spot and Tyquan Terrell rocketed it straight into the top corner of the net for a dramatic late equalizer.

At 1-1 after the 90 minutes were up, the game proceeded to a penalty shootout. Archibald saved the first kick, and Room responded with an even finer save. The two sides exchanged goals for several frames before Archibald produced another quality save in the fourth round. Terrell hit his penalty, and Leandro Bacuna put Curacao’s fifth over the bar, sending Saint Kitts and Nevis into hysteria.

Saint Kitts and Nevis will now get ready to face the winner of French Guiana and Sint Maarten for a place in the Gold Cup group stage.

David Brooks accepts that “people will be starting to doubt us” following Wales’ humiliating 4-2 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat against Armenia.

Wales would have gone top of Pool D had they beaten a team 71 places below them in the world rankings.

And life will not get any easier in terms of the battle for automatic qualification as Wales face an appointment with group leaders Turkey in Samsun on Monday.

“If we win that, we go back into a position of power,” Brooks said. “We all know that, and that is what we are going to be trying to do.

“We all know what we want to achieve – we want to get to the major tournaments. We have two days to kind of get over it and get back to work.

“I think people will be starting to doubt us, but we have got to go and try and put in a performance to prove all those people wrong.

“We all want to get to a major tournament, so nothing has changed.”

Wales’ first European Championship qualifying defeat at home since 2011 dropped them to third in the group as Turkey won 3-2 in Latvia.

Lucas Zelarayan and Grant-Leon Ranos both scored twice as Armenia secured one of the greatest victories in their football history.

And Welsh misery was completed by the dismissal of Kieffer Moore, who was adjudged to have committed foul play by Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov after tangling with goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich. He will miss the Turkey clash.

Brooks added: “Four goals at home isn’t good enough, I think we all know that, and we will be getting together and trying to figure out how to put that right in two days’ time.

“Bigger teams than us have done that to us, and we’ve caused upset results. It happens near enough every week in the Premier League, and we all knew that going into the game. They took their chances well.

“I’ve spoken to Kieffer. I don’t think he thinks he’s done a lot. They were kind of making a meal out of everything.

“Kieffer is a big part of what we want to do, so he is going to be a big miss for Turkey.”

Brooks’ return to the international arena was a highlight of an often chaotic night at Cardiff City Stadium.

He was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma while on international duty in October 2021, and Brooks received a standing ovation when he went on as a second-half substitute.

“It was special,” he said. “It has been a long two years to finally put that Wales shirt back on.

“To get the reception that I did, especially when I came on – I could hear every single one of them (fans) – and I just want to say thank you.”