AFTER a 5-2 beating by Trinidad in the opening match of their Christmas series, Bermuda's Under-23s might have feared the worst as might have football's governing body.

The feeling might have been the local team simply weren't good enough to compete at this level within the Caribbean region.

So enormous credit has to be given to the Island's youngsters after the way they responded in the second game later in the week.

That match ended in a 1-1 draw and with a bit of luck Bermuda could have carved out an unexpected victory.

What happened between those two games has much to do with the way defending league champions Devonshire Cougars handled the visitors – perhaps 'manhandled' would be a more apt description.

They lost 3-2 but showed that by muscling their opponents off the ball they could be competitive.

It was a performance that no doubt inspired the Under-23s ahead of their second encounter.

And it showed that them that talent alone won't reap success on the international stage.

Without showing some physical presence, results aren't likely to go your way. It was the Bermuda team's ability to show that they can be more combative when required that led to a much more positive result.

Some sides shy away from in-your-face football and Trinidad were no doubt surprised when the local team came out with a completely different attitude second time around.

Trinidad's coach Zoran Vranes was clearly riled by the fact that his team didn't complete a clean sweep, offering all kinds of excuses and vowing it would be a much different story when the teams meet again on Trinidad soil.

We'll see.

But it does appear Bermuda's Under-23s have learned some valuable lessons – not least that they can be highly competitive against even the bigger islands to our south.

Shaun Goater noted this week the difference between how the local team played in their two games and he knows something about the physical part of the game.

It doesn't get much tougher than playing as a striker in the English Championship – elbows in the face, tugged shirts, tackles from behind and studs around the ankles.

That's not to say Bermuda should adopt those tactics but displaying more physical toughness can unnerve opponents.

Reggie Lambe, a pro with Ipswich Town in the same division as Goater played, returned for the Trinidad tour aware that he needed to show more strength in order to challenge for a place in the club's first team. He said as much in a recent interview with this newspaper.

It's an area of the game which in the past Bermuda hasn't excelled.

Hopefully last week's draw with Trinidad will lead to stronger and more resilient performances in the future.

That result has built a platform from which the team can improve.

* * * *

THAT'S the good news in local football. The bad news is that yet another footballer – Hamilton Parish's Perry Puckerin – has been gunned down in a gang related attack.

As we've said before, football has become the biggest victim among all sports from the spate of shootings.

It was less than two months ago that president of Cougars, Craig Clarke, launched a campaign to stop the senseless violence.

He ordered T-shirts with the words 'One Love, One Community' printed on the front and 'Peace, Stop the Violence' printed on the back.

He pleaded for the same message to be shown on billboards, buses and wherever posters could be pinned.

So did anyone take any notice? Seems not.

The T-shirts have virtually disappeared, at least they haven't been seen at too many games, and the campaign appears to have come to a grinding halt.

It's a pity that Clarke's concern and commitment to finding a solution hasn't rubbed off on the very people who could affect change.

It still isn't too late to support that campaign.

By backing Clarke, our footballers could make a significant difference and help make Bermuda a safer place to live.

– ADRIAN ROBSON