Bermuda's national soccer coach Kenny Thompson admitted yesterday that he was "disappointed" with the Island's two defeats against the touring Barbados squad, arguing that individual errors cost the team dear.

He insisted, however, that winning had never been "the be all and end all" of the exercise, claiming that the matches had provided an ideal opportunity to experiment with different players and formations before the "serious business" of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

"Obviously we would have liked to have won," he said. "But at the same time we needed to use the opportunity to have a look at different players and formations, to discover what is our strongest option when it comes to the qualifying games."

Overall, Thompson said he felt that Barbados' tour had provided "some very positive experiences" for the national squad, though he admitted that Bermuda's performance in the second match, which they lost 4-0, was "well below par."

"We played very well in the first game and could have won it," he said. "And, although we didn't, there were some signs of real potential there. We did not play well in the second game, I admit, but obviously the sending off of Meshach Wade put us very firmly on the back foot."

The coach revealed that he has not yet spoken to Wade about the incident, which saw the former Bermuda skipper forced to take an early shower after head-butting Bajan Norman Forde, but said that he would be urging his players against such indiscipline in the future.

"I did not see the incident itself," he said. "And although I'm told there may well have been a little contact, I think the Barbados player who was rolling around on the ground clutching his face was making a little bit of a meal of it.

"Still, these things do happen at the top level where the opposition can take advantage of indiscipline. I would encourage my players to stay well away from those sorts of situations because it is just not worth it. But again, it was a another learning experience and I hope Meshach will approach it as such."

If there was one basic truth that Thompson hoped his players had come to realise during the two encounters, it is that "basic errors get punished at the top level."

"On Sundays in club football, players make mistakes and get away with it," he said.

"They will not get away with it if they are playing for the national team against international opposition. The sooner they appreciate this, the quicker we will progress. That was after all, part of the reason for the tour, to expose the players to the kind of discipline that will be required of them when it comes round to World Cup qualification."

Thompson said that in his own mind he is settled on the idea that 4-4-2 is the best starting formation for the players at his disposal.

He pointed out, however, that there will always be room for flexibility from this base.

"We will play a basic 4-4-2, but obviously could change according to the demands of any game," he said.

"From this platform though, we can move to a five-man midfield if we need to be more compact ? or a 4-3-3. The sending off in the second game forced us to experiment even further by bringing Khano Smith back to play on the left of midfield, where he did very well."

"For the last 15 to 20 minutes against Barbados," he continued, "We played only three at the back with an extra attacker because we wanted to see how we would cope when we are forced to chase the game. The experiment did not work I admit, but friendlies are where you have to try out these sorts of things."

Despite praising the entire squad for their "unwavering" commitment to training, Thompson singled out the performances of defender Kentoine Jennings, which he described as "absolutely superb."

He served warning, however, that he would still "expect more" from his players.

"They have given me their all I have to admit. I can't complain at all about the commitment the players have shown," he said.

"They must understand, however, that we will have to train more in the run up to the World Cup and that I will expect them to be disciplined in terms of their diet, recuperation time and their general lifestyle.

"I understand it may be difficult juggling work, family and football commitments but that is the sort of thing which is required when you are representing your country. I will never ask the impossible of my players but I will expect them to go that extra mile for their country."