AREQUIPA, Peru — Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz fought gallantly but were defeated 3-1 by hosts Peru in a friendly match at the Estadio de La Unsa on Tuesday night.

At high altitude, a chill at 53 degrees Fahrenheit and a packed and vociferous house against them, the odds were stacked against the visitors.

Edison Flores opened the scoring in the 21st minute, while Paolo Guerrero added another strike in the 44th and 58th minutes.

Jermaine Johnson got his country on the scoresheet from the penalty spot in the 86th minute.

But before the kick-off, a minute’s silence was observed for Captain Horace Burrell, the president of the Jamaica Football Federation, who died in the USA recently.

In further tribute, Jamaica’s players and staff wore black armbands as they mourned their late leader.

In the early exchanges, Jamaica pressed their opponents and earned consecutive corners in the sixth minute. Kemar Lawrence first curled in from the left-side, forcing Peru to put the ball behind for another.

Binns elected to take the second corner, a dangerous inswinger that found the head of a Jamaican player in the box, but the ball was cleared off the line.

Peru threatened at the other with a good combination play a minute later, but Andy Polo’s effort was charged down.

In minute 12, the home team threatened once again in a breakaway move, but veteran Jamaica defender Jermaine Taylor’s timely sliding tackle denied Christian Cueva as he was about to pull the trigger.

Jamaica conceded in the 21st minute when the defence failed to mop up, allowing a blocked shot to roll for a lurking Edison Flores to score easily with goalkeeper Andre Blake taken out, having committed to saving the previous effort.

Showing some offensive enterprise, Jamaica looked on the verge of picking the lock, with Oneil Fisher, Shamar Nicholson and Cory Burke driving forward, but Fisher could not finish off as he broke loose on Carlos Caceda’s goal.

Peru’s advertised danger man, Guerrero, in the 35th minute unleashed ambitiously from 25 yards out. But that was not going to beat Blake, who got his gangly frame behind the stinger.

And, even though Jamaica were behind on the scoresheet, their play going forward was encouraging, even as they seemed a pace behind when the fleet-footed Peruvians turned on the counter-attacking jets.

Blake pulled off a superb save, denying Guerrero at point-blank range in the 44th minute.

But from the resulting corner, the Jamaican goalkeeper was soundly beaten when Guerrero blasted into the roof of the net.

The Peruvian striker got his second of the night in the 58th minute when he glided into space and into Jamaica’s 18-yard box to bury a low, firm drive.

The Peruvians threatened numerous other times in the match, but a bit of luck and timely defending by the visitors kept the ball out of the net.

In the 86th minute, the Boyz earned a consolation when Owayne Gordon was cut down in the box after turning his marker twice. The veteran Johnson, having another fling with the national team, calmly slotted the penalty home.

But it was the play that spawned the penalty that is worthy of praise. It came from good work between Johnson and Kemar Lawrence down the left channel, and when it appeared Johnson was going to take off on one of his trademark zig-zagging runs, he switched the play, picking out Gordon on the other side.

Tuesday night’s match was the final international before the Boyz push off to Martinique to defend their Caribbean Cup title June 22-25. Shortly thereafter, they have the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA July 7-26.

Peru, who are seventh in the standings of the South American World Cup qualifying campaign on 18 points, are preparing for matches against Bolivia on August 31 and Ecuador on September 5.

Teams:

Peru — Carlos Gaceda (Jose Carvallo 60th), Alberto Rodriguez (Anderson Santamaria 45th), Miguel Trauco, Christian Ramos (Miguel Araujo 45th, Luiz Advincula, Renato Tapia (Pedro Aquino 60th), Yoshimar Yotun, Christian Cueva, Andy Polo (Alexander Succar 70th), Edison Flores, Paolo Guerrero.

Subs not used: Peoro Gallese, Aldo Corzo, Sergio Pera, Alexi Gomez, Jose Manzaneda.

Booked:

Jamaica — Andre Blake (Ryan Thompson 82nd), Jermaine Taylor, Ladale Richie, Kemar Lawrence, Alvas Powell (Rosario Harriott 75th), Oneil Fisher, Michael Binns (Jermaine Johnson 57th), Je-Vaughn Watson, Ewan Grandison (Sergio Campbell 65th), Shamar Nicholson (Romario Williams 57th), Cory Burke (Owayne Gordon 71st).

Subs not used: Fabian Grant, Tevin Shaw.

Booked: Burke (11th), Watson (70th), Richie (83rd)