St Lucia 5 Bermuda 2

Bermuda’s chances of qualifying for the Gold Cup already look slim after the Gombey Warriors were beaten heavily by St Lucia in the Nations League last night.

The 5-2 defeat means Bermuda are bottom of League B Group 2 after losing two games in four days to Guadeloupe and the host nation, and they are the only team without a point after Barbados drew 2-2 with the top seeds earlier in the day.

It was an awful first half for Bermuda, who looked a shadow of the team that deserved three points from their game against Guadeloupe on Friday, when they finished the game with nine men.

Head coach John Barry Nusum made five changes to the starting XI, two of which were enforced with Brighton Morrison and Emeer Peets coming in for the suspended Jorj Dublin and Lejaun Simmons. Zeiko Lewis, Justin Donawa and Nahki Wells also came into the starting XI, preferred to Sincere Hall, Luke Robinson and Djair Parfitt.

The first few minutes were cagey and although Donawa had the first shot at goal from long range in the seventh minute, that was as good as it got early for Bermuda, whose inexperienced defensive unit struggled in transition against a rapid St Lucia front three.

It was poor defensive marking that cost Bermuda the opening goal in the fifteenth minute when Keegan Caull, who went on to score a hat-trick in the first 35 minutes, scored with a header from a corner after finding himself unmarked at the back post.

There were claims of a foul on Bermuda goalkeeper Milai Perott, who appeared to be blocked by a St Lucia attacker, but with no Video Assistant Referee used at this level, the goal stood.

Just three minutes later and Bermuda were two behind. Again there was a claim for a foul, this time on Ajani Burchall, but with no decision forthcoming a quick through ball split the Bermuda defence and put Caull through on goal. He rounded Perott and buried the right foot shot despite a despairing attempt to block on the line by Peets.

Caull completed his perfect hat-trick ― header, right foot and left foot ― in the 35th minute and the goal came after Bermuda were caught in possession in their own half.

Morrison was robbed on the right and the ball again was played quickly to Caull, who despite the efforts of Harry Twite to force him wide, smashed the ball low into the far corner.

It was only after going 3-0 down that Bermuda started to find any rhythm and they created three golden chances ― two from Wells and one for Burchall ― before they found a way back into the game in first-half stoppage time.

Ne-Jai Tucker played a corner short to Lewis, who crossed from the left and found an unmarked Burchall six yards out to make it 3-1 at half time.

Hall came on for Morrison at the start of the second half, with Donawa switching from left wing to right back and Wells dropped noticeably deeper into midfield in an effort to help Bermuda get a grip on the game.

However, St Lucia nearly scored within the first 30 seconds of the restart with that man Caull wriggling free in the penalty area before putting his shot just wide.

Bermuda knew they would need the next goal to send the local St Lucia supporters into a panic but a home strike in the 52nd minute put paid to any hopes of a comeback.

One long ball from back to front cut out the entire Bermuda team with teenager Shevon Byron taking a great touch from the left, speeding into the area and firing low past Perott.

Wells fired wide from six yards after a well-worked free kick in the 58th minute, with Deniche Hill firing straight at the goalkeeper after some good wing play a couple of minutes later.

Bermuda struggled with the long ball all evening and another 50-yard pass played over the defence found the onrushing Kurt Frederick, who slotted easily to register St Lucia’s fifth goal in the 68th minute.

Bermuda reduced the deficit back to three goals just a minute later when Riley Robinson, on as a substitute for Zeiko Lewis, dispossessed St Lucia goalscorer Frederick and raced through to make it 5-2 in the 71st minute.

Elisha Darrell and Blayz Borgesson were introduced with just over 15 minutes to play to replace Enrique Russell and Burchall respectively and Bermuda kept pushing with Wells producing a stinging shot that was saved in the 82nd minute.

Bermuda’s talisman was then substituted in the 90th minute just moments after going down with what looked a knee injury.

Nusum will be hoping that Wells is fit to travel for a double header against Barbados this week, with the need to pick up points quickly and stave off any potential threat of relegation.

Scorers

St Lucia: Caull 15, 18, 35, Byron 52, Frederick 68

Bermuda: Burchall 45+1, R Robinson 70

Bermuda: M Perott, E Peets, H Twite, B Morrison, D Hill, N Tucker, A Burchall, J Donawa, Z Lewis, E Russell, N Wells. Substitutes: J Hill. C McDowall. D Richardson, L Steede-Jackson, L Robinson, P Robinson, S Hall, D Parfitt, B Borgesson, E Darrell J Hill, C Fubler

St Lucia: V Barclett, T Thomas, D Lionel, M Doxilly, A Louis, S Nelson, K Frederick, A Jude-Boyd, C Elvo, K Caull, S Byron. Substitutes: M Romain, L Joseph, Y Noel, D Augustin, G Reggie, B Sandiford, D Prix, B Edward, A Hippolyte, G President, B Edward, D Donaie

Referee: Brayan Cruz (Costa Rica)