Bermuda 0 British Virgin Islands 2

Bermuda blew their big chance at Digicel Cup qualification, going down 2-0 to the British Virgin Islands on the final day of the three-game tournament yesterday.

A victory over Cayman and a remarkable comeback against hosts St. Vincent had left Kyle Lightbourne's men just one point away from a meeting with Surinam in the next round, but wasteful finishing - including a missed penalty - cost them dear.

St. Vincent hammered Cayman 4-0 in the second game of the day to top the group while Bermuda finished third on four points behind BVI, who qualify in second place with the same number of points, but go through on head-to-head countback.

Lightbourne was furious after tasting his first defeat in football management.

“I'm very, very disappointed,” said the former pro, who sorely missed injured striker Khano Smith for yesterday's encounter at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

“We dominated the game from start to finish. If it was boxing match it would have been stopped at half-time, it really was no contest.

“After all the hard work we have put in, it is a shame for it all to end like this - real disappointing.

“It was actually the best we have played all tournament. We told the lads not to be complacent and they did everything I asked of them except put the ball in the back of the net.

“It was one of those games where you just knew that it wouldn't be our day. No excuses, if you can't get the ball in the net, you are not going win matches.

“We had a penalty with ten minutes left, if Damon (Ming) had scored that, then everything could have changed. It was a day of missed opportunities for us.”

Although Bermuda were in command throughout the game, two strikes in the first 15 minutes by a former St. Vincent international were enough to do the damage.

Ming had a goal ruled out after ten minutes for offside and Kentoine Jennings hit the inside of the post with a free kick in the latter stages as everything Bermuda threw at the opposition came to nought.

Lightbourne's men kept the BVI goalkeeper busy all afternoon but the missed penalty by Ming in the 80th minute was indicative of the profligacy that undid all the good work of the previous two games.

“I am looking at our ‘keeper Timmy Figureido coming off the pitch,” continued Lightbourne, who was banished from the bench for arguing with the linesman in the 3-3 draw with the hosts on Wednesday which had set up what should have been a straightforward finale yesterday.

“He is wearing white and he is still almost entirely white even though it was muddy as hell out there. He didn't have to do anything but pick the ball out of the net twice.

“They have three good players and that's it. Unfortunately all of them played out of their skins and they got the result.

“We dominated but their ‘keeper had an exceptional game, I don't know how we didn't win it.”

Although his complaints come a little too late and will only fall on deaf ears, Lightbourne wasn't happy with the make-up of the BVI side, the same complaint the hosts had after they drew 1-1 with the team placed 175th in FIFA's world rankings.

“This wasn't the same team that we beat so easily in Word Cup qualifying all those years ago,” continued Lightbourne, the frustration at the defeat clear in his wavering voice.

“These guys were all pretty much former St. Vincent players. I don't know how they've managed to get away with this. I don't think any of these guys are from BVI.”

And Lightbourne admitted the defeat showed how much Bermuda missed Shaun Goater, who withdrew 24 hours before the team flew out to St. Vincent.

“We really could have done with Shaun out there, we just needed to turn possession into goals and he would have been a man who could have done that job,” added Lightbourne.

“But we also really missed Khano, who never recovered from that knock from the last game.”

Goater was forced to withdraw from the Bermuda squad the day before departure after injuries to his fellow Reading strikers forced boss Steve Coppell to withdraw permission for the striker to fly out.

Although the former Manchester City legend was expected to start against Wigan on Saturday, frustratingly for both Goater and Bermuda, he was instead only an unused substitute during the 1-1 draw.