Panama 0-1 Jamaica: Allyson Swaby scores only goal of the game as Jamaica put one foot into knockouts

Jamaica put themselves in an ideal scenario as their tight 1-0 win over Panama gave them the upper hand over Brazil in Group F’s race to qualify for the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup.

Captain Allyson Swaby glanced a header from a Trudi Carter corner into the far corner on 56 minutes as the Jamaicans edged a drab affair in Perth.

Lorne Donaldson’s side were the better of the two teams, dominating the majority of the game, but lacked the clinical edge in the final third with the absence of suspended star striker Khadija Shaw of Manchester City.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, the first real sighting of goal for either side was when Drew Spence, the Tottenham midfielder, drove into the box from the right-hand side on 34 minutes, firing a shot into the side-netting, before Vyan Sampson’s curling effort was tipped wide by the alert Yenith Bailey two minutes later.

Marta Cox broke free and tamely struck at Rebecca Spencer in the Jamaican goal, but that was as close as Panama came as their World Cup hopes look all but over.

The match’s tempo picked up after the break as both sides realised the importance of a win, with both searching for their first victories of the tournament after Ignacio Quintana’s Panama were beaten 4-0 by Brazil and the Jamaicans held group leaders France to a goalless draw.

But it was Swaby, the Angel City central defender, who led by example, coming up with the goods to send the Reggae Girlz to the brink of the knockout stages, as they took full advantage of Brazil’s surprise defeat to France earlier this morning.

Cox had another sighting of the Jamaica goal with 21 minutes remaining, slicing wide from close range, as their confidence started to ebb away.

Jamaica face Brazil in a mouth-watering final group encounter, with the loser crashing out of the World Cup. For Donaldson and the Reggae Girlz, Bunny Shaw will be a welcome returner.

They were creating half-chances at least, but they really failed to show any real potency in front of goal. Swaby’s winning goal on 56 minutes would have come as very welcome relief for the Reggae Girlz, who struggled to link up with each other effectively in the final third in the absence of their taliswoman.

Instead, it was the selfless Kayla McKenna, the Rangers striker, who ran the channels and linked play where she could, but she cut an isolated figure at times as Jody Brown and Trudi Carter struggled to create from wide positions.

They controlled midfield expertly, as predicted, with Sampson offering the numerical overload that often caused Panama a headache.

Assured, and a class above.

The Tottenham midfield showed her quality here, and was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch, offering penetrating runs, displaying her creative instincts in her passing ranges, and leading by example in the engine room.

She was ably supported by Atlanta Primus, the London City Lionesses midfielder, but outshone her with her all-round contribution.

Panama: Bailey 7; Castillo 6, Baltrip-Reyes 6, Pinzon 6, Salazar 5, Natis 6, Cedeno 6. Gonzalez 6, Cedeno 6, Cox 6, Tanner 6. Subs: Quintero 6, Riley 6, Montenegro 6, Jaen 6.

Jamaica: Spencer 6; Cameron 6, A. Swaby 7, C. Swaby 6, Blackwood 5, McKenna 6, Spence 8, Sampson 7, Brown 6, Primus 6, Carter 6. Subs: Matthews 6, Simmonds 6, Washington 6, McNamara 6, Wiltshire 6.

34′: CLOSE! Drew Spence powerfully bursts into the box as she dribbles down the right, and she cuts in onto her left and strikes, but it’s into the side-netting.

36′: GOOD SAVE! Jamaica are cranking up the heat as they look to bundle the ball into the box. It’s cleared, but only as far as Sampson, who bends one from range, but Bailey gets up to tip it round the post.

40′: CLOSE! Jamaica survive an almighty scare as Marta Cox bursts through the defensive line, but scuffs her shot on her right foot, and Spencer can gather with ease.

56′: GOAL! Jamaica lead, and after the corner is earned by Jody Brown’s perserverance down the left, it’s flicked home by Allyson Swaby, the captain, from Carter’s corner.

90+2′: PENALTY! A handball from Natis from Spence’s curler gives Jamaica the chance to double their lead. // 90+4′: NO PEN! VAR says no!