Eric Vernon ... scored in the 65th minute. - file

ORANJESTAD, CMC

Jamaica pumped in six goals to beat Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados also won as Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Group B Olympic qualifying matches began Sunday.

The Jamaicans shot past Antigua and Barbuda 6-1 and Barbados knocked off the hosts Aruba 2-0 in the opening Under-23 group games at Complehjo Deportivo Stadium.

With a solid and confident display, Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz, the bulk of their unit coming from their Pan Am Games silver-medal-winning side in Brazil in July, shot ahead 3-1 by half-time.

Troy Smith opened their scoring on eight minutes and after Ken Pennyweather equalised for the Antiguans in the 21st minute, Jamaica responded with goals from Ricardo Cousins (26th) and Keammar Daley (45th) before half-time.

Game sure

Nicholy Finlayson (51st), Eric Vernon (65th) and Steven Morrissey (70th) added goals after the break to make the game sure for the Jamaicans, who play next today against Barbados.

The Barbadians, uneasy this trip as they complain about "adverse conditions" in accommodation and food, cleared their first hurdle.

The 17-year-old schoolboy Brett Carrington and England-based Miles Jones netted the goals for Barbados to sink the home side, who play Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday.

The group winners will join Trinidad & Tobago, the Group A champions, and the Group F winners Bahamas in the next stage of CFU Olympic qualifying.

Other CFU groups are being contested in Cuba, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The top finishers in each group will progress to the CFU's second round that consists of two three-team groups scheduled for next month.

The winners of each triangular group will then progress to the CONCACAF Under-23 Final Round series, which will qualify two teams to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.