Bermuda 5 St.Lucia 0

Bermuda's Under 17s hammered St.Lucia 5-0 during their opening Caribbean Football Union World Cup qualifier before a paltry crowd at the National Sports Centre last night.

Three first half goals via the boots of Damon Swan, Keishan Bean and Antwan Russell and late second half strikes from substitutes Angelo Simmons and Thomas Watson did Bermuda proud and sent the local boys soaring to the top of the four team group.

Bermuda will now meet Guyana - who earlier drew 1-1 with Trinidad and Tobago - on Friday night.

"We are very pleased with the result," said Bermuda coach Kenny Thompson. "5-0 always has to be very pleasing.

"I thought that we started the match a little bit slow and uncertain but once we scored the opening goal the team settled down and we were able to get two more before the break. We were in pretty good shape three goals up at the half.

"During the second half the players displayed a bit more intensity and what was more pleasing was that out of our five primary attacking positions, we scored five goals. Each player with a main responsibility for attack was able to score and also the two substitutes (who came) off the bench which is also satisfying."

Thompson warned people not to get carried away with the victory.

"Overall, we are very pleased with the result but of course this is only one match and we still have two matches remaining and we expect them to be very difficult," he said. "But our players will be up to the task."

After both teams had been greeted on the plush pitch by Island dignitaries and Bermuda Football Association officials it was down to the business of football and the home side did not disappoint, immediately setting about the task of pinning down the opposition in their own territory.

Bermuda made the breakthrough after 28 minutes. Swan, after receiving a piercing through ball down the middle, did well to keep his calm, dribbling a few yards before beating rival goalkeeper Randy Poleon to put his side 1-0 up.

From here on the local boys never looked back and ten minutes later Bean put them up 2-0 when he blasted home from close range after Russell had headed on.

Five minutes before half time, Russell, after squandering a few half chances, finally got it right to bring the home crowd to their feet once again.

This goal floored the visitors, who by now were reduced to shadow boxing. Such was the local team's superiority that St.Lucia were only afforded two good looks at goal and Bermuda `keeper Daniel Johnson must have enjoyed one of his easiest nights between the sticks.

Bermuda picked up where they had left off after the restart, holding their opponents hostage in their own half.

To further add to St.Lucia's woes they were reduced to ten men in the 52nd minute when captain Zaaccheus Polius - who had earlier sung his country's national anthem after the public address system encountered technical difficulties - was given his marching orders after receiving a second caution.

This certainly did not aid his team's cause and Bermuda immediately seized the initiative and stepped it up a notch.

Tuarean Manders had the local crowd cheering again when he put the ball in back of the net, however, it was a false alarm as the effort was deemed offside.

But there was no denying Bermuda in the 85th minute when late substitute Simmons ran onto a high penetrating ball and slammed home his team's fourth from close range.

Watson then popped up with a firm header that rubbed salt into the opposition's wounds and restored some pride back to local soccer after the previous night's ugly incident at Devonshire Rec.

Bermuda:D.Johnson, M.Burch, R.Richardson, L.Alexander, A.Lowe, K.Outerbridge (M.Piper, 78 mins), C.Castle, T.Manders, D.Swan, K.Bean (T.Watson, 70 mins), A.Russell (A.Simmons, 58 mins).

St.Lucia: M.Valcin, S.Jack (L.Weeks, 70 mins), J.Andrew, C.Nanton (L.Mayers, 70 mins), J.St.Clair, V.Abbott, E.Lambert, R.Poleon, C.Emanuel, Y.Vigne, Z.Polius.

Sent off: Z.Polius (St.Lucia, 52 mins); Booked: D.Swan, R.Richardson (Bermuda).

Men of the match: K.Bean (Bermuda); R.Poleon (St.Lucia).

Referee: S.Richards (Dominican Republic).

During the night's first match, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago played out to a 1-1 draw.

Dwight Peters gave Guyana an eighth minute lead, however, Trinidad's Gorean Highley drew the teams level midway through the first half.

It was seemingly all one way traffic with Trinidad enjoying the lion's share of the possession and it was during this period of sustained pressure, that they managed to put the ball in the back of the net twice.

However, both goals were disallowed and Guyana hung on for dear life to secure a vital point.