The inquest into Bermuda's Digicel Cup demise starts today as the national team return home from Cayman Islands searching among the dust and debris for explanations for their shock exit.

To not qualify from a group made up of minnows Cayman, St.Martin and Antigua is a substantial setback and certainly punctuates the feel-good bubble created after beating Trinidad.

Ironically, that victory hindered rather than helped Bermuda, with both Antigua and Cayman using the age-old technique of cranking up the pressure by declaring Bermuda as group favourites. 'If they beat Trinidad then they can surely beat us,' they reasoned.

Obviously no-one told them that this wasn't the same team that upset the odds by overcoming the Soca Warriors.

For a multitude of different reasons Bermuda had to make do without Omar Shakir, Kevin Richards, Meshach Wade, Keishen Bean and Kofi Dill.

Maybe more could have been done to ensure some of these local leading lights made the trip. Maybe the Trinidad victory had also produced a somewhat misleading representation of the country's footballing status.

Coach Kenny Thompson suggested as much in his post-match conference following his team's 0-0 draw against Cayman on Sunday.

Still, Bermuda possessed enough quality in their ranks to advance to the next stage of the Caribbean's showpiece football competition and undoubtedly played the best football of all the teams in the group.

Yet a disastrous 4-0 opening defeat against an decidedly average Antigua ultimately put paid to those aspirations.

There was plenty of time reflect on that inexplicable loss as Tropical Storm Gustav confined the players to their hotel rooms, but not before they had been dealt a few home truths during a behind-closed-doors meeting.

Whatever their coaches said seemed to have the desired effect with the players then doing their talking on the pitch, responding with a 7-0 massacre of St.Martin on Saturday. Ipswich Town starlet Reggie Lambe led the slaughter with four goals and asked his team-mates to sign his match ball after the game as a memento.

Watching from the stands as Bermuda ripped St.Martin to pieces was defender Kris Frick who refused to sit on the bench after being left out of the starting line-up again.

His immature decision smacked of petulance and further depleted Bermuda's threadbare reserves, leaving Thompson without any defensive cover.

It's understood technical director Derek Broadley spent over an hour speaking with the 19-year-old the morning before the match when Frick first voiced his discontent at being overlooked.

And it was probably for the best when he checked out of the team's hotel the next day despite the last-ditch efforts of a trio of experienced players who visited his room to try and talk him around.

The drama of Frick's walkout seemed to foster a new-found spirit in the camp with Bermuda requiring to conquer Cayman in their final game to secure second spot.

From the outset, Bermuda put Cayman on the back foot with Damon Ming mercilessly terrorising his full-back, while Jemeiko Jennings and Sammy DeGraff controlled the midfield.

In attack John Barry Nusum and Stevie Astwood bruised and battered their markers, while the much improved Darius Cox marshalled the defence.

They looked to have been handed the iniative when Cayman had a man sent off for two bookable offences, but the referee immediatley levelled things out by harshly showing Stevie Astwood a red card for swearing during the melee that ensued.

Bermuda threw bodies forward in search of the goal needed to keep their Gold Cup hopes alive, but found substitute 'keeper Jermaine Brown in commanding form.

It was a solemn team bus filled with tears, anger and frustration that made its way back to the hotel. Yet it's important to put this elimination into perspective. Just as Bermuda didn't become a great side when they beat Trinidad, they have not suddenly become a bad team for losing to Antigua.

Furthermore, this was an extremely youthful looking squad and the performances of their Under-20 players offers a tangible glimmer of light amidst the immediate gloom.

Reggie Lambe, 17, once again outlined his huge potential, while Tumani Steede, 18, showed glimpses of promise with two lively substitute appearances.

Casey Casey, 17, enjoyed a sensational debut against St.Martin helping himself to a double salvo, while Roger Lee, also 17, grew with confidence and will return home a better player than when he left.

The flipside is that Bermuda now have to wait two years until their next meaningful competition – the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

But that may not be a bad thing for technical director Derek Broadley who now has ample time to re-structure the national programme.

The real work starts now.

GROUP C RESULTS

Bermuda 0 Antigua and Barbuda 4

Bermuda 7 St.Martin 0

Bermuda 0 Cayman Islands 0

STANDINGS

Antigua 7 pts

Cayman Islands 5pts

Bermuda 4 pts

St.Martin 0 pts