Bermuda 3 Barbados 0

Kenny Thompson's Bermuda will head to Port of Spain on Thursday on a crest of a wave after putting a bamboozled Barbados to the sword with three unanswered first-half goals.

Their underdog status may remain, but at least Bermuda's double over the Bajans has given the Island reason to contemplate the unthinkable – a positive result against Caribbean powerhouse Trinidad on Sunday.

A brace from Keishen Bean and a neat finish from John Barry Nusum did the damage at the National Sports Centre last night. In truth the score could have been far greater against a Barbados team bereft of any creativity other than in ways to kicks lumps out the opposition.

The US scout watching from the stands will surely have wondered whether it had been worth sending him to watch his nation's next qualifying opponents, who will surely be nothing more than cannon-fodder for the red, white and blue.

Controlling proceedings from start to finish, The Gombey Warriors gave their most complete performance in recent memory, making their admittedly under-strength opposition, who take on the US at the weekend, look a sorry lot.

Is this really the same Bermuda that stuttered against St.Kitts, were outclassed by Puerto Rico and endured nerve-shredding moments against Caribbean minnows Cayman Island under previous coach Keith Tucker?

Since the last round of the World Cup qualifiers significant changes both on and off the field have taken place, contributing to the feel-good factor currently engulfing the national programme.

And in terms of their confidence, organisation, and darn-right swagger it will be a very different bunch of players who board the plane at the L.F Wade International Airport ahead of the crucial first leg clash.

At last it seems Bermuda are starting to move away from being content with simply weaving pretty triangles from within their own half.

Thompson's men moved the ball swiftly and fluidly from defence to attack, carving through Barbados' back-line time and time again.

And it was no surprise when they took the lead through Keishen Bean who scored a particularly un-Bermudian goal by planting a back post header into the net from a delightful Reggie Lambe set-piece early in the first-half.

Lambe then found Kevin Richards in a goalscoring position with another free-kick, but the full-back was leaning back and unable to direct his header on goal.

Another attractive passing move saw Bermuda increase their advantage when John Barry Nusum unselfishly cut back across goal when many strikers would have been guilty of displaying tunnel vision, allowing Bean to bag his brace.

Thompson's team were by now in cruise control with a frustrated Barbados trying to resort to bullyboy tactics as the game descended into a heated affair.

But Bermuda refused to become overly embroiled in a bruising battle and breached the Bajans defence again when Nusum guided home a third after some good work by Khano Smith.

The second-period saw Bermuda continue to dominate with Sammy DeGraff and Tyrell Burgess both having good chances, while substitute 'keeper Mykal Crockwell pulled off a point-blank save from Barry Skeete.

Bermuda are now unbeaten in their last four full internationals.

Their next task will be to try and remain that way by the time they return to the NSC on June 22 for the second leg against Trinidad.

Bermuda:

T.Figureido (M.Crockwell 79), K.Richards, A.Lowe, K.Dill, O.Shakir (capt), M.Wade, S.DeGraff (C.Frick 69), K.Bean (K.Steede 79), R.Lambe (J.Davis 63), J.Barry Nusum (T.Burgess 58), K.Smith

Coach K.Thompson

Barbados:

A.Chase, N.Forde (capt) J.Parris, D.Jones, M.Jones (B.Carrington 69), G.Belle, B.Nesbitt, R.Williams, R.Braithwaite, W.Burrowes (B.Skeete 55), M.Marshall

Coach E.Sealey

Referee

A.Francis (referee)

Yellow Cards

Norman Forde (Barbados)

Khano Smith (Bermuda)

Man-of-the-match

K. Bean (Bermuda)