England's visit to Trinidad brought much hype but it was always going to be a reunion with Caribbean rivals, Jamaica, that really whetted the appetite of the "Soca Warriors".

The final 1-1 result at the Marvin Lee Stadium on Saturday night was, arguably, fair based on the balance of play as the "Reggae Boyz" enjoyed healthy servings of ball possession and tormenting the Trinidad and Tobago defence although veteran goalkeeper Clayton Ince rarely looked in trouble.

Dr Terrence Babwah was actually the busiest man on "Team T&T" on Saturday as he spent enough time on the field treating players to merit a pair of football boots and a number on his back.

There were concerns expressed in the press box about such bitter rivals playing each other so close to their first 2010 World Cup qualifying match and the physical nature of the encounter must have worried both benches. But, at the end, France-based winger Kevaughn Connell appeared to be the only victim and his dodgy ankle may have been troubled more by the hard turf than the feisty Jamaicans.

Jamaica's Brazilian coach Rene Simoes praised the improved performance and application of the host team, who he claimed to have evaluated on their poor 3-0 loss to England on June 1.

Forever the smooth talker, Simoes spent three years at Jamaica-which culminated in a berth for the Boyz at the 1998 World Cup-and one with Trinidad and Tobago and should be well aware of the ferociousness of the inter-island rivalry.

Perhaps not. Simoes never managed a win in the Caribbean derby from six attempts for the Boyz and once as Trinidad and Tobago head coach.

Colombian Francisco Maturana appeared aroused by the pairing and was an animated figure on the touchline. His first outing against Jamaica, three months ago, ended in a last gasp 2-2 draw in Kingston that earned his squad a welcome reception on their return.

The expectations were different at home and particularly after a dismal showing in the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's (T&TFF) Centennial Match, although Maturana was handicapped by the absence of star strikers Stern John and Kenwyne Jones.

Surely, Maturana was thinking more about avoiding defeat than miming his team plan for their opening 2010 World Cup qualifier against Bermuda when he started with a lone striker, Jason Scotland, supported by five midfielders and a four man defence.

Trinidad and Tobago beat Bermuda four times from five attempts in the past decade, with 13 goals scored to just two conceded. The lone 2-2 draw, which occurred away to Bermuda in 2004, came when the Warriors played a man short.

Ince has nine World Cup qualifying clean sheets-a national record he shares with present goalkeeper coach Michael Maurice-and would be expected to claim the accolade outright with a shut out in this weekend's encounter.

But Maturana could hardly be blamed for his caution on Saturday.

Trinidad and Tobago fans can claim to be the Caribbean's top dogs with some justification after their appearance at the 2006 World Cup and a regional balance sheet that reads eight titles from 13 Caribbean Cups.

But it is worth noting that seven of the regional finals were held in Trinidad, as opposed to two each in Jamaica and Barbados.

Similarly, the Warriors regularly enjoyed home advantage in their meetings with Jamaica. In 13 clashes since 1997, nine matches were played in Trinidad with two in Kingston and another two at neutral venues. T&T had four wins-one via a penalty shoot out-and as many draws with five losses and 15 goals scored to 17 conceded.

There is little breathing space between the two proud nations and none was offered on the weekend.

As such, it was a pleasure to see United Petrotrin playmaker Keon Daniel produce his best performance on the left flank to date, while teenager Khaleem Hyland continued to impress with his versatility, not to mention the opening goal. Left back Aklie Edwards pushed his chest out too and showed the composure and bravado necessary for the occasion.

There were positives that Maturana would build on against Bermuda. History suggests a straightforward victory is in the making. Jamaica are never such a prospect.