A sensational second half strike from Dimitrio Andro earned Robinhood of Suriname a 1-0 victory over Jamaican side Cavalier in the first leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Final at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, on Thursday night.
It was a fairly cagey start to the contest as both teams took their time to feel out each other, before Carlos Da Silva's 15th-minute header gradually broke the shackles for Robinhood.
Cavalier heeded the danger and responded with a warning shot of their own through Shaquille Cairo 33rd-minute attempt.
The Jamaican side upped the tempo after the interval and almost broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, but tournament-leading scorer Shaniel Thomas's effort went just wide.
Minutes later Robinhood's goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel was called upon to make a soaring save to deny Ronaldo Robinson.
Just when it looked like Cavalier had the home side on the ropes and were set to break through, Robinhood turned the half on its head when they found the go-ahead goal in the 69th minute against the run of play. This, as Andro rifled a right-footed shot that lodged into the top right corner of net.
Andro’s excellent strike made for a vibrant finish, with Robinhood buoyed by momentum, while Cavalier tried desperately but couldn't find the elusive equalizer.
With that, the stage is set for what should be an explosive second leg inside Jamaica's National Stadium on December 6.
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