Coach Kyle Lightbourne might have rued his decision to field a mostly unproven side against Manchester City Youth Academy last night.

For 90 minutes Bermuda?s new-look national squad were reduced to chasing ghosts at the National Sports Centre as City?s stars of tomorrow ran rampant while hitting the target with deadly accuracy, and great regularity.

The visitors were a cut above the host team in every department, and fans could have been forgiven for thinking the local season ended in January instead of only seven weeks? ago.

Not even UK-based players Damon Ming or Shaun Goater could swing the momentum in Bermuda?s favour as City jumped into a lead after only five minutes and never once took their foot off the throttle.

From the outset, Bermuda custodian Jay Smith must have realised he was in for a long night as City?s big three of Kelvin Etuhu, Ishmal Miller and Mark Laird repeatedly bulldozed their way through a flat-footed local defence and placid midfield.

Directing attacks down either flanks, City took only five minutes to expose the local defence, Micah Richards outleaping two defenders at the back post to head home Etuhu?s corner.

Only through Smith?s acrobatics between the sticks were City denied from adding to their lead. First the PHC Zebras goalie pushed Etuhu?s fierce drive around the post and then bravely saved at the feet of Miller as the big striker moved in for the kill.

Bermuda?s first real chance finally arrived in the 20th minute, Tyrell Burgess firing inches wide after a give-and-go between Jelani Scott and Taurean Manders pried apart the City defence.

City ?keeper Casper Schmeichel was then spared blushes after deliberately picking up an intended back pass. Burgess? resulting free kick left much to be desired as it soared harmlessly into the night sky.

Ian Bennett, however, would not be as generous, stuffing a short pass into the roof of the net from the top of the 18-yard box to give City a 2-0 cushion at the break.

Lightbourne made four changes at the half, and things did look somewhat promising for Bermuda as Corey Dowling, Aljame Zuill and Stephen Astwood provided more life in attack.

But just when the pendulum began to swing in Bermuda?s favour, City struck twice in two minutes to kill off any hopes Lightbourne?s men might have had of staging a second half revival.

Five minutes after the restart Smith?s replacement in goal, Daniel Johnson, opened the door for the visiting team to add to their lead. The goalie raced off his line to collect a innocuous through ball. However, he failed to collect the ball, leaving Ashley Grimes the easy task of slotting into an empty net.

Grimes then drilled the ball home again two minutes later after the local defence failed to react to his threat.

From here it was anybody?s guess what the final scoreline would be as City simply had things all their own way, although Astwood and Dowling tested Schmeichel from distance and Goater opted to shoot from a tight angle instead of finding a free Zuill in the middle.

Etuhu?s 60th minute lob over Johnson made it 5-0 before a Miller brace during the closing minutes added insult to injury on a night Lightbourne might quickly want to forget.