VANCOUVER, Canada -- The World Cup run that captured a nation's heart ended with a loss here yesterday, but only after a spirited second-half comeback put a scare into group favourites Canada.

Bermuda trailed 3-0 at the interval to an Alex Bunbury hat-trick and all looked lost for a side who needed a point to remain in the hunt for one of the top two spots in the four-country qualifying group.

But a heated dressing-room exchange between PHC team-mates Sammy Swan and Kyle Lightbourne injected new life into Bermuda, and they were a changed side after the break.

Shawn Goater scored his third goal of the round in the 70th minute after Swan's hustle had put the Canadian defence in a panic. Six minutes later Swan arrived late to claim the spoils after Goater's good work had the defence reeling and suddenly Canada's lead was a tenuous one.

But substitute Geoff Aunger, with his first goal for Canada, finally put Bermuda to rest with an 86th-minute strike. The 24-year-old flicked the ball up and then slammed it home from 20 yards to put Bermuda's finest-ever international campaign behind them.

Coach Gary Darrell said his side's typically Bermudian start was exactly what they wanted to avoid. Bermuda trailed 1-0 after just seven minutes, and were 2-0 behind 13 minutes into the match.

"We just gave ourselves too much to do in the second half,'' he said. "If it had been 2-0 at half-time we would still have been in with a real chance but at 3-0 it was an almost impossible task to get the players to lift their heads.

"It was the most difficult half-time I have ever experienced in my coaching career. I didn't say anything. I just waited and waited and then Sammy and Kyle had a go at each other, got each other geared up, and then the whole team realised it wasn't over yet.'' Goater's goal was the first-ever scored by Bermuda against Canada at full international level. Swan latched on to a through-ball in behind the Canadian back four and when the ball ran off his foot in the box, Goater was there to stab it into the empty goal with goalkeeper Paul Dolan stranded off his line.

Then Swan scored a similar goal after Goater caught Canada's back four flat-footed again.

"I thought we were going to come back at that point,'' Darrell said. "Once we got that first half behind us, we played with the kind of intensity we needed throughout the whole game. In the second half, we accepted the challenge to play for pride and we got back into it.'' Unfortunately that came too late to stop Bunbury's exploits in a first-half dominated by Canada. The 25-year-old striker, who just 12 days ago signed a three-year contract with English side West Ham United, opened the scoring when he bundled the ball past Dwayne Adams from close range.

Then in both the 13th and 36th minutes Bunbury rose unchallenged to head past Adams, all three crosses were supplied by Canadian midfielder Dale Mitchell, who dropped back from his forward position to replace the injured David Norman.

"It was kind of disappointing to see him score two goals unchallenged like that,'' Darrell said. "We knew he was a good player but I thought Kentoine Jennings was the man to handle him. Kentoine was sharp in the second half but if he had played with the same kind of intensity in the first half we may have been better off.

"Otherwise we just took too long to adjust our game plan. If we had begun to play to feet a bit earlier we might not have been in such bad shape coming out of the first half.'' The match was likely one of the final international appearances for the 31-year-old Swan, whose half-time outburst helped lift Bermuda's sagging spirits.

"We just took too long to get going,'' Swan lamented. "The only time we really seemed to play is when we have to. In the second half, we knocked it around a little bit and started playing some penetrating ball in behind their defence but it was just a bit late.'' Darrell's squad finish their World Cup campaign with a home match against Canada on December 6.

"It's unfortunate that we had to play three crucial games in a row like this away from home,'' Darrell said. "We left home in first place and we return home eliminated.'' Canada: P.Dolan; F.Yallop, M.Watson, C.Miller, M.Sweeney; D.Mitchell, N.Dasovic, L.Hooper, J.Limniatis (G.Aunger, 53 mins); A.Bunbury, J.Catliff (C.Valentine, 66 mins).

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).

Referee: Leon Padro (Mexico). Linesmen: Francisco Sanchez, Luis Fernando Micher (Mexico).

Attendance: 4,093 Men of the match: Alex Bunbury (Canada); Sammy Swan (Bermuda).

THAT THREE -- Bermuda defender Dennis Brown looks on in disgust as Alex Bunbury celebrates his and Canada's third first-half goal. Bermuda fought back but it was too little too late. Picture: Reuter.

JOINT HEADS -- Mexico's Carlos Hermosillo wins this aerial duel with Eugenio del Olmo yesterday.