Bermuda Hogges 0

Real Maryland Monarchs 0

How many chances does it take to win a football game?

That question would have kept Kyle Lightbourne up for most of last night and probably still be swirling around his mind when he woke up this morning.

But considering the Hogges had been on the back of a pair of multiple goal thrashings prior to the match, stewing over how to score goals will still be preferable to fretting about how to prevent them.

Lightbourne will certainly be delighted his defence stopped the recent rot, keeping their first clean sheet for 11 matches, and greatly encouraged his players responded to last weekend's tongue lashing by showing plenty of pride and passion.

Even so, there is still a sense that the Hogges missed a real opportunity last night against the Monarchs, who are after all a fledging franchise and one of only two teams below them in the league.

Had Aljame Zuill not seen his 59th minute penalty palmed away by the goalkeeper then Lightbourne would be feeling a whole lot better about the next six fixtures - all of them on the road - with the Hogges ominously yet to gain a point away from the National Sports Centre, or BAA, this season.

Still, this was a much improved performance by the Hogges who were by far and away the superior outfit, carving the Monarchs open repeatedly during a dominant second-half, but ultimately lacking any real killer instinct in front of goal.

They forced a flying save out of 'keeper Emilio Zelaya from Omar Shakir's stinging set-piece, they saw John Barry Nusum's early one-on-one opportunity bravely smothered, and had Kevin Richards' close range header frantically scrambled off the line. Not to mention Zuill's glaring miss from Damon Ming's cross to the back post.

In fairness the Monarchs had their moments also, with Timmy Figureido tipping Teodoro Ramirez's rasping drive over the bar in the first-half, before denying substitute Victor Ramirez in the dying seconds of the game with a fine reflex save.

The match was slightly marred by one idiotic home supporter who constantly, and crudely, persisted in barracking Lightbourne to make a substitution during the second-half.

Lightbourne and the foolish fan eventually become embroiled in an ugly exchange, before the latter was quite rightly led away by security.

The Hogges coach said he was pleased with his team's performance but admitted to being disappointed with the result.

"We had our opportunities tonight," said Lightbourne.

"We got ourselves into good positions, but we kept on hitting the 'keeper.

"I felt we could have scored at least four goals.

"But we missed a penalty and that's the way it goes sometimes.

"It's disappointing because they're a team below us and we didn't get the three points we needed - but we didn't lose.

"The guys have worked hard tonight and they have worked hard this week, and it was important to keep a clean sheet."

The Hogges are next in action against basement dwellers Pittsburgh Riverhounds away on Saturday July 19.

Bermuda Hogges: T.Figureido, K.Richards, K.Dill, O.Shakir, J.Ball, D.Ming, J.Peniston, K.Bean, D.Coddington (L.Dill 79), A.Zuill (S.Astwood 74), J.Barry Nusum

Subs: N.Burgess, D.Cox, K.Steede, J.Scott, R.Bean