National coach Winfried Schäfer. - file

NEW JERSEY, United States:

A near flawless performance by goalkeeper André Blake led Jamaica's brave, but losing effort against Serbia in a friendly international football match here yesterday.

While the Reggae Boyz went down 2-1 to quality opposition, they acquitted themselves well, to the point that head coach Winfried Schäfer claimed a moral victory, especially after Jamaica's strong and unified second-half showing.

"For me, we won this match today," the coach said. "Jamaica was more in the second half."

Blake led the way, pulling off several stunning saves, including a penalty kick by Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov. The same player had beaten him at the near post earlier at Red Bull Arena, Blake's only admitted 'mistake' of the afternoon.

"It was just one of those things," said Blake.

top pick

That strike added Serbia's second goal of the first half and threatened to demoralise Jamaica. Yet the top pick in the 2014 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft shook off that 22nd minute disappointment, as he did Jamaica's earlier setback, when he was only able to fingertip but not stop a 13th-minute strike from Dusan Tadic from hitting the far corner of the net.

"I just put it behind me," Blake said of Kolarov's shot.

In front of him was a much bigger task of steadying Jamaica's 'shaky' start to the match, when loose marking early left huge gaps in the Boyz's defensive set-up.

But Jamaica responded to Blake's inspiration, including his command of his penalty box in the face of the several tall and powerful Serbia attackers, especially on corner kicks. In the first half alone, Blake saved five of the 11 shots.

His heroics kept Jamaica in the game and in the 53rd minute substitute Michael Seaton helped reward the Boyz' efforts. Seaton headed in Kemar Lawrence's high cross from the left side to pull the Boyz within a goal.

Yet it was again left to Blake to prevent Serbia from extending the lead late in the game. He went low to save Dusan Basta's hard drive, before repelling Kolarov's spot kick going full stretch to his right.

"All I had to do was stop (Serbia) from getting any more," said Blake, who was signed by MLS's Philadelphia Union in January.

He has been unable to crack the club's starting line-up, but rust hardly showed yesterday against Serbia, a plus for Jamaica.

"Match practice is always important," he said, "but it's all in the mind .... I had a pretty good game."

André Blake - file