The Gambia Under 20 team warned doubters they are a side with sense of purpose on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over visiting Sierra Leone for the perfect start to their 2011 Africa Youth Championship qualifier campaign.

The Gambian side were first made to fight for an equaliser rather a winner when Sierra Leonean striker, Donald Willington, capitalised on a defensive howler to slot home the opener.But Bakau United's Mamut Saine restored hopes on the stroke of half-time before forward Alasana Camara's clinical finish was sandwiched by substitute Buba Jallow's perfect brace in the second half.

The victory - Gambian youth side's biggest win in many years - has all but pushed Coach Lamin Sarr's men into the second round of the qualifier, except if Sierra Leone Shooting Stars perform miracle in second and deciding leg coming in a fortnight period in Freetown."It was a perfect victory because the players responded well to the instructions. But it is just one game and we still have a work to do for the return leg in Freetown," elated coach Sarr said during a post-match interview.

"For the past years, the Gambia U-20's fame has eluded them but with time and continuous support from the Gambian public we are ready to bring back this lost glory," he added.Lamin Sarr was heavily criticised for his failure to guide the Darling Scorpions to the Rwanda 2009 CAF U-20 finals.

On that occasion the Gambian side lost to eventual champions Ghana in the second and deciding leg in Banjul when a 1-0 victory would have seen them sail through.With that near miss fresh in mind, many fans were as baffled as a lot of critics when the same indigenous coach was handed the challenge to lead the team for a place in Libya finals.

And in front of a half-full stadium at the weekend, Sarr survived a scare after just three minutes when the visitors made their intention clear with eventual goal scorer Donald Willington's effort coming off the crossbar.The home side struggled to settle and their lack of concentration allowed the skillful Sierra Leoneans to have more of the run of play.

On the half-hour mark, the visitors deservingly grabbed the lead, though the Gambian defense pair Kemo Fatty and Matarr Jobe were guilty of gifting the much-needed away goal.The crucial error forced the startled-looking coach to effect some tactical changes, as he quickly introduced domestic league top scorer Lamin Sarjo Samateh in the place of striker Ebrima Camara, while Omar Jasseh [Waterman], much of whom was not seen in the early minutes, was instructed to operate behind striker Alasana Camara.

The changes appeared to have given the home side some flare in the game, and Mamut Saine's strike in the 45th minute after the visitorsÂ' failure to clear their line, left the half time score level at 1-1.Fresh from break, the Gambia side looked more organised and it took a moment of brilliance from some fresh legs to take the game beyond Sierra Leone reach.

Second-half substitute Buba Jallow [Meles] headed home a floating free-kick for Gambia's second goal in the 58th minute, before Hawks' Mustapha Jatta - another substitute- delivered a perfect cross to the left side where Alasana Camara was waiting to unleash a left foot blast from the edge of the box to make it 3-1in the 80th minute.

Powerful Jatta turned a provider again in the stoppage time when another decent cross of his was easily tapped in by Buba Jallow for GambiaÂ's fourth goal and the diminutive forward's second of the evening.