Luton Shelton scores Jamaica's first penalty against Grenada during the Digicel Caribbean Championship final at the National Stadium last night. Others in photograph (from left) are Grenada's Shane Rennie, Jamaica's Demar Phillips and Dane Richards and Cassim Langaigne of Grenada. - Ricardo Makyn

LUTON Shelton last night converted penalties won in either half by Eric Vernan to hand the Reggae Boyz a 2-0 win over Grenada in their Digicel Caribbean Championship final at the National Stadium.

"I'm delighted. I've got to give full credit to the players because all I could do is give instructions and we tried to carry out the instructions to the best of our ability," said Jamaica's head coach John Barnes, rubbing shoulders right at the end of the game with his assistant, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore.

Jamaica's captain Tyrone Marshall, who collected the winning trophy from Austin 'Jack' Warner, FIFA's vice-president and president of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), said it was a proud moment.

"Coming out of the World Cup disappointed, without qualifying for the final stage, we set our goals to qualify for the Gold Cup and win the Digicel tournament. We feel very proud that we could do it on our home soil in front of our home fans."

Unbeaten run

Jamaica ended the eight-team championship unbeaten, only dropping points in a 1-1 preliminary-round draw with Trinidad and Tobago.

Shelton's double gave him a championship-leading six goals as Jamaica pocketed the US$120,000 (J$9.36-million) first prize. Vernan was named the championships' MVP.

Earlier in the afternoon, Guadeloupe, knocked out of the semi-finals by Jamaica 2-0 on Thursday, beat Cuba 5-4 on penalties to clinch third spot.

It was the Cubans' second straight loss on penalties after Grenada beat them 6-5 in Thursday's semis.

The four Caribbean teams all qualified for next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States.

Vernan's speed down the right flank resulted in fouls in the penalty box on the speedy midfielder, the first in the 16th minute and the second in the 69th.

The first penalty came after veteran midfielder Andy Williams threaded a pass out of midfield for Vernan to chase into the box. Vernan broke clear but was sent tumbling by a late challenge from his Portmore United captain, Anthony Modeste, skipper of the Grenadian team.

Shelton stepped up and buried the penalty, shooting to the right of goalkeeper Noel Desmond, who dived correctly but too late.

The Boyz got a scare before scoring when Oneil Thompson headed a weak pass back to Tyrone Marshall, putting his captain in a speed duel with forward Kithson Bain.

The Grenadian got to the ball ahead of Marshall on the right side of the box but with goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts rushing off his line, Bain pulled his shot across the six-yard box.

Second penalty

Reggae Boy Eric Vernan (left) receiving his Most Valuable Player award from Jamaica Football Federation president, Captain Horace Burrell, at the presentation ceremony for the Digicel Caribbean Championship at the National Stadium last night. - Ricardo Makyn

Shelton, who hit the crossbar with a header off a corner five minutes after the break, was called on again to boot in another penalty won by Vernan.

Sprinting into the box in the 70th, Vernan was taken down by Dwayne Leo, racing on to a pass from substitute Roland Dean.

Shelton again beat the keeper to his right, giving the Reggae Boyz their fourth Caribbean title.

However, sloppy defending, particularly from Thompson, could have handed Grenada a goal before Jamaica's second.

The lanky midfielder, turned defender by new coach John Barnes, literally gave up chasing Bain inside the box in the 57th minute, leaving Ricketts to race off his line and block the striker's shot inside the elbow of the six-yard box.