Lightbourne and defenders Meshach Wade and Kentoine Jennings, could be soon headed to England now that the national team have failed to qualify for the next round.

Elimination could mean an early start to his professional career at Scarborough for Kyle Lightbourne who was not originally due to sign a one-year contract until after the final group match with Canada on December 6.

But that match will only be a formality now that Bermuda have no chance of qualifying for the next qualifying phase.

That situation could result in top scorer Goater rejoining his Second Division team, Rotherham United, and defenders Wade and Jennings going back to Hereford United three weeks early.

"I would think that would make sense because the longer we keep those players out the harder it is going to be for them to get in,'' said Bermuda Football Association president Charlie Marshall yesterday.

Marshall added that the situation will be discussed with coach Gary Darrell who returns with the team today at 1.35 p.m.. There is also a possibility that the other players in the World Cup team could return to domestic football sooner rather than later.

"It makes economic sense from the professional players' point of view. In Shawn Goater's case we paid the club and the club paid him, and we paid them more than he's getting. In the case of the other two, Jennings and Wade, we're paying them.'' No doubt all four players will be anxious to join their clubs in England, with Rotherham and Scarborough seeking promotion from the Second and Third divisions respectively while Rotherham and Hereford are in the next round of the FA Cup (December 5) following wins on Saturday.

"The longer the players are away from their teams the larger the risks are of them losing their positions,'' Marshall said. "We don't want to jeopardise any upward mobility they may have.'' Goater, Rotherham's top scorer with seven goals in 13 gamess before he joined the Bermuda team in early October, has also been the main goal scorer for his country in this World Cup campaign.

The 22-year-old has scored in each of the three away matches in the second round to take his World Cup tally to seven and extend his overall scoring record to 16 goals in 17 international matches since making his debut three years ago.

Bermuda's fate in this second round was determined by poor defending in the away matches where they gave up 11 of the 12 goals the team have conceded in five matches.

Against both El Salvador and Jamaica they trailed 2-0 at the half while Canada hit them for three first-half goals before the team staged another second-half recovery.

"I've got to give them 100 percent credit for the effort and for not giving in,'' added Marshall. "They fought right to the end and I'm very proud of them.

"At that level of football you're talking about coming back from 2-0 down, which shows a lot of character.'' The campaign for the second round is expected to cost Bermuda in the region of $320,000 though the team will save some money by not staying at Warwick Camp again now that they have been eliminated.

About $60,000 has been received from pledges made during the recent telethon, out of an estimated $62,000.

Marshall has not ruled out Bermuda making another World Cup bid in 1998, with some valuable lessons having been learned from the recent experiences.

"We've learned that we need to prepare ourselves and the team better,'' he said.

"We should be talking about 1998 but we've got to have better preparation.

That is something we'll continue to discuss and I can assure you we won't enter unless we're properly prepared.

"We're happy to see the support we've had, which has brought the community together.'' Marshall is urging locals to turn out for the December 6 match with Canada and give the team the same support their received in the two previous home matches. Bermuda are still unbeaten in four home matches in World Cup qualifying matches.

The six survivors from the early rounds of the FA Cup will be determined tonight when three double-headers in the preliminary round are held.

At least one Commercial Division team usually reaches the first round, which involves the 10 teams from the First Division, but in tonight's round the three survivors face tough opponents from the Second Division.

At Somerset at 9 p.m., Island Rangers, who reached the first round last year before going down to eventual cup winners PHC 4-0, take on Vasco.

Vasco are hoping to quickly bounce back from their first loss of the season on Sunday to Southampton Rangers. BAA take on Somerset Eagles 7 p.m. in the first game.

Eagles, who blasted Paget 7-0 on Sunday, should be favoured against a BAA team who have won just once in four league matches.

KPMG and Exiles of the Commercial Division also meet Second Division opponents tonight as they bid to stay alive in the competition. KPMG meet Port Royal at 7 p.m. at Devonshire Rec. while Exiles play Wolves in the opening match at PHC Stadium.

Tonight's other matches see Social Club taking on Southampton in the 9 p.m.

match at PHC Stadium and Devonshire Cougars meeting Prospect at Devonshire Rec. at 9 p.m.

SHAWN GOATER -- Early return to Rotherham is imminent.