VERACRUZ, Panama — Head coach Wendell Downswell was left a disappointed man after the Jamaica Under-17 team stumbled to a 2-2 result against regional rivals Barbados at the Estadio Muquita Sanchez on Monday.

The Young Reggae Boyz wasted numerous chances to score, and are precariously perched on two points in Group A. They await the outcome of today’s game between Panama and Barbados to know if they will advance to the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship.

Only the top two countries from each group will progress to the quarter-final stage.

A victory for either will see Jamaica advance to the quarter-final as the second-placed team from the group. A 0-0 or 1-1 draw, which would leave all three teams locked on two points, would put the Jamaicans through ahead of Barbados based on goals scored.

Up to press time, the Jamaica Observer was not able to confirm what method would be used as tie-breaker if teams end up with identical goals for and against records.

Openly displeased with being in that uncomfortable position, the coach said the woeful finishing of the attackers was the biggest let-down in an open and pulsating encounter. He declared that the Central Americans may prove to be too good for Barbados.

“I’m very disappointed because we expected better, especially (playing) against Barbados because we usually dominate the teams in the region. We created a number of early chances that we should have converted and put the game away.

“We gave up a soft goal and then another in the second half. At the international level you suffer the consequences,” he told the Observer after the game where the Bajans twice came from behind.

“What is good is that the host country is playing Barbados and I think they are superior to them. The fact that they have gotten couple days rest and Barbados will be playing back-to-back (matches will also work in Panama’s favour),” Downswell added.

Striker Raffique Bryan, given his first start of the tournament, got the ball rolling for Jamaica with a neat lob after muscling his way through the Barbados defence.

The Jamaicans, playing with significantly more freedom than they did in the 1-1 draw with Panama a couple days earlier, continued to press the Barbadians with precise combination passes and incisive dribbling.

But they were left wanting in the final third as Bryan, captain Junior Flemmings and forward Michael Seaton all wasted good opportunities to score.

They were left to rue those misses, as their opponents managed an equaliser, and though Jamaica retook the lead before the half-time break when Flemmings struck home a penalty kick that Seaton won, Barbados pulled level for a second time in the match to secure a point.

The coach conceded that at times the defending was disorganised and lacked discipline.

“We were a little bit too open. We didn’t play as organised as we did against the Central American team.

“We have to look at the defensive network, and especially between the two central defenders. On a number of occasions with the balls over the top they didn’t handle that well, so Barbados could have also scored more,” he said.

The four semi-finalists at this tournament will automatically qualify for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be staged in the United Arab Emirates later this year.