Bermuda 1 Haiti 0 Bermuda celebrated their first World Cup victory thanks to a Shaun Goater goal three minutes from the end.

The home side held the upper hand at the National Stadium on April 26, 1992, but were denied for most of the game by Haitian goalkeeper Reginal Pierre Gerome.

The goal was created by Philip Clarke, who had the crowd gasping with a dribble into the penalty area followed by a left-footed shot which Gerome could only parry.

Goater, then a 21-year-old with Rotherham, pounced to tap the loose ball into the net.

Goater, Kyle Lightbourne, Sammy Swan and Kenny Thompson had all kept the visitors' goalkeeper busy.

But it was not all one-way traffic, as home goalkeeper Dwayne Adams made a fine save to deny Robert Denis and then defender Shawn Smith cleared off the line to save Bermuda once more.

The 87th-minute winner was the culmination of a late rally by the home side, who were spuured on by chants of "we want a goal''.

Bermuda: D.Adams, K.Grant, S.Smith, L.Stevens, V.Astwood, K.Thompson, M.Wade, K.Jennings, K.Lightbourne (P.Clarke 83 mins), S.Goater, S.Swan (R.Bascome 53 mins).

Haiti 2 Bermuda 1 (Bermuda won on the away goals rule) Bermuda scraped past Haiti, thanks to a vital away by Shaun Goater in front of a partizan crowd in Port-Au-Prince on May 24, 1992.

Goater put Bermuda ahead in the 20th minute and the 25,000 fans fell so silent Goater feared his effort had been disallowed.

"As the goal was scored the crowd went into a big silence and I looked over to the linesman thinking he had given off-side,'' said Goater after the game.

Bermuda's lead lasted just three minutes, as one of six professionals in the Haiti team Charlite Eliazar, a midfielder with Miami Freedom, equalised with a far-post header.

Despite almost uninterrupted pressure from the home side, it took them until 12 minutes from time to take the lead, when an Eliazar scorcher bounced in off the underside of the crossbar.

Some solid defending and heroics from Adams kept the score at 2-1 and with the aggregate scores level at 2-2, Goater's crucial away goal sent Bermuda through.

Bermuda: D.Adams, K.Grant, S.Smith (D.Brown 38 mins), L.Stevens, V.Astwood, K.Jennings, M.Wade, K.Thompson, S.Goater, K.Lightbourne, S.Swan (N.Paynter 72 mins).

Antigua 0 Bermuda 3 Midfielders Kenny Thompson, Paul Cann and Kentoine Jennings scored the goals as Bermuda's World Cup campaign gathered momentum with a convincing victory in St. John's on June 14, 1992.

Thompson broke the deadlock with his first international goal in the 19th minute, a 20-yard shot which took a slight deflection on its way into the net.

Antigua came back strongly, but the Bermuda defence remained rock solid and goalkeeper Dwayne Adams had only one significant save to make.

Philip Clarke replaced Sammy Swan and the big striker had a hand in the second goal. Clarke fed Goater, who passed to Cann on the right side of the penalty area and his shot from an acute angle found the net in the 71st minute.

After Albert Caisey's stinging shot had been tipped over the bar, Jennings added the third goal with a far-post header from the resulting corner.

Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, S.Smith, L.Stevens, A.Caisey, K.Thompson, P.Cann, K.Jennings, V.Astwood, S.Goater (K.Lightbourne 80 mins), S.Swan (P.Clarke 63 mins).

Bermuda 2 Antigua 1 Bermuda completed a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win over Antigua, as Shaun Goater scored twice in front of 4,000 fans at the National Stadium on July 4, 1992.

Ivor Luke stunned the home crowd by giving the visitors a 17th-minute lead.

Luke was later sent off for head-butting Elliott Jennings.

Bermuda piled on constant pressure and eventually equalised two minutes before half-time. Kyle Lightbourne slipped the ball through to Goater who was fouled in the box by Vernel West.

Goater netted from the spot, but the kick was ordered to be retaken because Elliott Jennings was encroaching into the `D'. Goater kept his cool and put the ball in the net again.

The winner came 90 seconds into the second half, when Smith's free-kick from the left-hand side was met by a firm scoring header by Goater.

Goater said after the game: "I'm upset we didn't hit the target more.

Personally I was disappointed with not getting my hat-trick, particularly with the chances I got.'' Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, N.Paynter, S.Smith, L.Stevens, S.Goater, P.Cann (D.Bascome 85 mins), K.Jennings, A.Smith, K.Lightbourne (P.Clarke 78 mins), E.Jennings.

Bermuda 1 El Salvador 0 Bermuda got off to a dream start in the second phase of World Cup qualifiers with a hard-fought victory by a single goal on October 18, 1992.

Kyle Lightbourne was the hero of the day, soaring high to head a 77th-minute winner in front of a National Stadium crowd of 5,000 who cheered every Bermudian touch of the ball.

It was a magnificent team effort from Bermuda who matched their skilfull opponents and even a striker nicknamed "Magico'', Jorge Gonzalez, could not break through a solid home rearguard marshalled by Neil Paynter.

Paynter injured himself keeping the ball in play in the run-up to the goal.

Fullback Voorhees Astwood sent over a fine left-wing cross, which Lightbourne rose majestically to head powerfully into the net.

Astwood had been outstanding all afternoon, getting forward regularly and feeding crosses to the front-runners Lightbourne and Elliott Jennings.

Shaun Goater had an early shot saved, but much of the action came at the other end, where goalkeeper Dwayne Adams made a fine save to keep out a header by Lazo.

Lightbourne explained after the game what had been on his mind as Astwood's cross came towards him. "I was not going to let this guy get to the ball before me,'' said the striker. "I felt I was better than them in the air.

This shows we can compete at this level.'' Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, V.Astwood, L.Stevens, K.Jennings, N.Paynter (D.Brown 81 mins), P.Cann, S.Goater, S.Smith, E.Jennings (P.Clarke 67 mins), K.Lightbourne.

Bermuda 1 Jamaica 1 A stunning 30-yard strike by Kentoine Jennings earned Bermuda a point against a well-drilled Jamaican side at the National Stadium on October 25, 1992.

Jennings' magnificent strike put Bermuda ahead in the 51st minute. A dummy by Shaun Goater allowed Jennings to hit a thumping drive which deviated viciously and left Jamaica goalkeeper Warren Barrett hopelessly wrong-footed.

Jamaica equalised with a header from Paul Davis 17 minutes from the end, after goalkeeper Dwayne Adams had been beaten by a cross from Winston Anglin.

Overall, it was a good point for Bermuda, who found Jamaica more difficult opponents than El Salvador, and but for a series of fine saves by teenage goalkeeper Adams, the visitors could have gone home with a win.

Jamaica had dominated the first half, but Bermuda seized the initiative, spurred on by Jennings' sensational strike and a noisy home crowd.

Goater fired a 30-yard free-kick just over the bar in the 59th minute, before Sammy Swan volleyed wide from a good positon.

A fine save by Adams and a telling interception by sweeper Dennis Brown kept the resurgent Jamaicans at bay, but Davis finally levelled up the game in the 77th minute.

Jennings said after the game: "It was the best goal I have scopred with the national squad, certainly the hardest struck.'' Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, D.Brown, V.Astwood, K.Jennings, L.Stevens, P.Cann, S.Smith (A.Smith 85 mins), S.Goater, E.Jennings, S.Swan (P.Clarke 75 mins).

El Salvador 4 Bermuda 1 El Salvador gained revenge for their defeat at the National Stadium and condemned Bermuda to a crushing first defeat in the second World Cup qualifying phase in San Salvador on November 1, 1992.

Gary Darrell's team slipped from first to third in Group B after El Salvador dominated a match watched by TV viewers in Bermuda.

Julio Lozano opened the scoring for El Salvador on 22 minutes with a close-range volley and Jorge Gonzalez stole in to net their second goal on the stroke of half-time.

Seven minutes into the second half, Mauricio Cienfuegos headed the third goal from a Gonzalez cross and when Jose Rivera's shot bounced in off a post three minutes later, Bermuda knew they were beaten.

Shaun Goater headed home his fifth World Cup goal from Albert Smith's corner 10 minutes from the end to salvage some pride for the Island team.

Coach Darrell spoke admiringly of the opponents.

"This was the team I expected to see in bermuda,'' he said. "They were always able to find space, either by coming later into areas or by coming in amongst our defence and checking off.'' Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, L.Stevens, N.Paynter, K.Jennings, V.Astwood, E.Jennings (D.Bascome 59 mins), A.Smith, P.Cann, S.Goater, K.Lightbourne (S.Swan 76 mins).

Jamaica 3 Bermuda 2 Bermuda fought back from two goals down to equalise but ended up losing to late penalty in Kingston on November 8, 1992.

The loss sent Bermuda to the bottom of Group B and needing four points in two matches against Canada to have a chance of progressing.

Two Jamaica goals in the first eight minutes stunned Bermuda. After four minutes, Hector Wright drove home the first, into the roof of the net and four minutes laterRoderick Reid side-footed past goalkeeper Dwayne Adams to make it 2-0.

Around 300 fans had travelled to cheer on Bermuda and they had something to shout about when Shaun Goater pulled one back on the hour. Goater's free-kick deflected off the wall to Dennis Brown and his dipping shot was too hot for goalkeeper Warrenn Barrett to handle and Goater pounced to net the loose ball.

Six minutes later, it was 2-2, when Neil Paynter sent a far-post header past the stunned Barrett.

But in the 73rd minute it was Paynter who was penalised for handball and Wright converted from the penalty spot to give Jamaica maximum points.

Bermuda coach Gary Darrell said: "We gave them a couple of goals and made them look better by our defensive errors.'' Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade , D.Brown, L.Stevens (S.Swan 45 mins), V.Astwood, K.Jennings, N.Paynter, P.Cann, D.Bascome, S.Goater, K.Lightbourne (E.Jennings 22 mins).

Canada 4 Bermuda 2 The World Cup which had captured the hearts of the nation ended with a spirited display in Vancouver on November 15, 1992.

Bermuda went in 3-0 down at the break after Canada's Alex Bunbury scored a hat-trick, but the Island made a stirring second-half fightback and pulled back two goals through Shaun Goater and Sammy Swan to give the home side a real fright.

Coach Gary Darrell credited Bermuda's revival to a heated exchange between Swan and Kyle Lightbourne at half-time.

Bunbury struck after seven, 13 and 36 minutes to seemingly wrap up the game for Canada.

Darrell said: "It was the most difficult half-time I have experienced in my coaching career. I didn't want to say anything. I just waited and waited and then Sammy and Kyle had a go at each other and got each other geared up and then the whole team realised it wasn't over yet.'' Goater stabbed home his goal in the 70th minute after being set up by Swan.

Goater returned the compliment six minutes later and Swan cut the deficit to 3-2.

But substitute Geoff Aunger killed off an Bermuda hopes of a point with a fourth goal in 86th minute, a spectacular volley.

Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, K.Jennings, D.Brown, V.Astwood, N.Paynter (A.Smith 45 mins), S.Smith, D.Bascome, S.Swan, S.Goater, K.Lightbourne (P.Cann 74 mins).

Bermuda 0 Canada 0 Bermuda improved on three bad results on the road and preserved their proud unbeaten World Cup home record on December 6, 1992.

Bermuda started without leading scorer Shaun Goater for disciplinary reasons, after he missed a team photo shoot the day before.

But it was a gutsy team performance in front of a small crowd on a cold and blustery day at the National Stadium.

John Catliff missed several chances for Canada, as Bermuda's defence concentrated on keeping the Vancouver hat-trick hero Alex Bunbury quiet.

Albert Smith and Neil Paynter had Bermuda's best efforts, as the campaign finished with a respectable display.

"It's nice to finish with a good performance,'' said coach Gary Darrell.

"One of the reasons we played better was because the defence was solid. We never looked like giving up a goal.'' Bermuda: D.Adams, M.Wade, S.Smith, K.Jennings, N.Paynter, E.Jennings, D.Bascome, A.Smith, P.Cann, S.Sawn (S.Goater 58 mins), K.Lightbourne.

Shaun Goater: Bermuda's leading scorer in the 1992 campaign, pictured as a teenager playing for North Village in the late 1980s.

Kentoine Jennings: Then a professional with Hereford United, he scored with a stunning 30-yard strike against Jamaica.

David Bascome: A midfielder who earned his place in the starting line-up with a series of impressive displays in the 1992 campaign.

SOCCER SOC