Bermuda batter BVI in first round qualifier
Bermuda 9 BVI 0 (Bermuda win 14-1 on aggregate) Professionals Shaun Goater and Kyle Lightbourne were barely missed in this second leg of the World Cup first round qualifier as Bermuda had seven different scorers in their rout at National Stadium yesterday.
Bermuda had all but wrapped up the tie when they came back from the Caribbean two weeks ago with a 5-1 lead after the first leg. That left BVI with a mountain to climb, needing to score at least five times to have any chance of advancing.
But in unfamiliar blustery and cool conditions, which forced one BVI player to wear white gloves, their task was made all the more difficult when they conceded their first goal and had a player sent off inside the first 15 minutes.
After only managing two goals in the entire first half, Bermuda went on a scoring rampage after the interval, netting their next four goals in a frantic eight minute period soon after the restart.
Stephen Astwood and substitute John Barry Nusum scored the last four to finish with two apiece as the visitors welcomed Haitian referee Rosnick Grant's final whistle which ended the massacre...and their humiliation.
Bermuda, forced into four changes because of unavailability and suspension, needed just six minutes to break the deadlock when Devarr Boyles' shot took a deflection before beating 'keeper Desrie Butler.
Butler got little help from his defence as Bermuda scored from all angles. By comparison, Dwayne (Streaker) Adams had a virtual day off at the other end.
BVI resorted to niggling tackles to try to stop the fast Bermuda front line who were ably supported by wingbacks Tokia Russell and Stanton Lewis.
Ronald Salmon was booked for a foul on Rohaan Simons and then in the 14th minute Wendell Nicholls was ejected for a foul on the same player as Simons was about to have a free run into the box from a Boyles pass.
A man short and already a goal down, which made it 6-1 overall, the British Virgin Islands knew it was a lost cause as Bermuda took full control.
Midfielder Paul Cann curled a shot just over the bar after Boyles' forward run was stopped. Then a shot from Astwood produced a good save by Butler.
Bermuda, under no pressure, were able to play freely as the new strike pair of Astwood and Simons enjoyed themselves up front. Adams made one of his few saves midway through the half when Dwight Browne was put through and the keeper blocked the ball for a corner.
Bermuda also played with 10 men for a few minutes when Meshach Wade limped off for treatment to a thigh injury from physio Maureen Ryan.
But soon after his return, and after Prince Williams shot just over the bar from a free kick, Bermuda scored their second goal in the 34th minute. Tokia Russell's effort from outside the box beat Butler in flight as he anticipated a cross to the back post and the ball deflected off his body and into goal.
Russell was unlucky not to make it 3-0 six minutes into the second half when his strong run into the box on the right side ended with a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar before being cleared.
Soon after that the floodgates opened up with goals coming in the 53rd, 57th, 60th and 61st minutes to make it 7-0 for the day and 12-1 overall. Wade hit the third with a blast from 15 yards that went inside the 'keeper's right hand post.
World Cup massacre From Page 27 Simons was the victim of another foul, this time inside the box which earned Bermuda a penalty and this time captain Shannon Burgess tucked his spot kick inside the post.
Thomas Carter replaced Wade just before the penalty was taken and the US-based midfielder quickly settled into his midfield role.
Lewis blasted a low shot into the far bottom corner from an angle on the left side to make it 5-0 on the hour as BVI's defence was penetrated again.
A minute later Butler was picking another ball out of the back of the net when Astwood took a pass from Boyles to drill in a low shot.
Bermuda made two more substitutions, bringing on Nusum for Simons and Andrew Rahman for Lewis. Nusum helped himself to the seventh goal, following up on a shot from Carter from 25 yards that the 'keeper parried and the BVI defence failed to clear, Nusum tucked his shot into the far bottom corner.
It was all one way traffic now as Butler made a good save when he tipped a shot from Astwood over the bar. But the PHC hit-man was not to be denied, scoring easily in the 80th minute when Boyles put him clear. Rounding Butler he got to the goal-line, stopped the ball and dropped to his knees and headed the ball over the line.
Nusum, brought back from college for the match, added his second in injury time when he met Russell's free kick into the box and scored with a powerful header into the bottom corner.
Bermuda: D.Adams; S.Burgess, C.Roberts, K.Roberts, T.Rusell, S.Lewis (A.Rahman 73 mins), M.Wade (T.Carter 57 mins), D.Boyles, P.Cann, R.Simons (JB Nusum 64 mins), S.Astwood.
BVI: D.Butler; W.Nicholls, R.Salmon (R.Prince 57 mins), O.Roach (N.Smile 69 mins), P.Williams, D.Browne, R.Lennon, K.Simmons, G.Ferron (Q.Roache 60 mins), P.Azille, W.Williams.
Referee: Rosnick Grant. Ref's assistants -- Eddy Rimpel, Jean Mary Wisler (all from Haiti).
Men of the match: Tokia Russell (Bermuda), Prince Williams (BVI).
Yellow cards: Ronald Salmon, O'Neil Roache (BVI).
Red card: Wendell Nicholls (BVI).
World Cup first: Bermuda substitute John Barry Nusum (16) nets his first ever goal in the World Cup with this 75th minute shot past BVI 'keeper Desrie Butler at the National Stadium yesterday.