GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman (CMC):

Antigua and Barbuda outscored St Martin 3-2 and sailed into the second stage of the Digicel Caribbean Football Championship as Group C winners on Sunday.

In a fluctuating match at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex, the Antiguans led in the first half but were forced to come from behind after the break after the short-staffed French side amazingly hit two unanswered goals past them.

Hosts Cayman Islands, coached by former Jamaica captain and technical director, Carl Brown, assured themselves of a spot in the next round when they held Bermuda to a 0-0 draw to clinch second spot in the group.

Group leaders Antigua and Barbuda took 44 minutes to score against bottom of the table St Martin and only earned that advantage a minute before half time through good work from Jamie Thomas.

The forward found himself in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jean-Luc Marconnet, rounded him and scored into an empty net.

St Martin tied the game on 53 minutes when Markenson Pierre met a cross from Stanislas Adams and scored from close range.

Easier job

Antigua and Barbuda's job then appeared to become easier when the St Martin defender Elvis Fleming was sent off for a reckless challenge in the 55th minute.

But against the odds, St Martin went 2-1 up just three minutes later when Pierre netted a fine goal, blasting a low shot to the far post past Javid Joseph in the Antiguan goal.

Antigua and Barbuda made it 2-2 in the 68th minute when Thomas smashed a deflected shot into the goal and the Leeward Islanders snatched the victory a minute before the finish through Roy Gregory.

The evening's second game left Brown celebrating, the former Jamaica coach - now in charge of the Cayman Islands - guiding the underdogs to a scoreless draw and the point they needed to advance.

Antigua and Barbuda topped the group with seven points, followed by the Cayman Islands (5) and Bermuda (4). St Martin finished on zero.

Second stage

Antigua & Barbuda will be joined by Group A champions Netherlands Antilles, Group B winners Guyana and the two other victors from the groups in St Kitts & Nevis (Group D) and in Martinique (Group E) later this month, along with the Cayman Islands and three other best second-place teams - in the second stage of the Digicel Caribbean Championship - a quaifier for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The second stage of the tournament will comprise three groups hosted by Guadeloupe, Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago from October 11 to November 9.

The eight-team finals are scheduled for Jamaica from December 1-14.

The champions will earn a first prize of US$120,000. The runners-up pocket US$70,000 while US$50,000 goes to the third-place team and US$30,000 for fourth position.