It's not often that this newspaper comments on sports on the editorial page, but the Bermuda Hogges' first ever victory on Monday night against the New Hampshire Phantoms at the National Sports Centre deserves attention.

The team's first season in the USL has been tough. Recording just one draw in their first nine games and riding a six-game losing streak can be demoralising and would give ammunition to the naysayers who would like to claim that Bermuda's players do not belong in a professional league.

Monday night's thrilling win does not mean that the team's fortunes have entirely changed around, but it does show that they can compete at this level and the win will give all of the players confidence for the rest of the season, much of which will be spent on the road.

But the Hogges should be about more than winning games. Although this is not the national team, the players are representing Bermuda, and they are getting the chance to play regularly together at a higher level than they could expect in the Premier League, and more consistently than they would for the national team, where there are often long periods of time between matches.

One would also hope that under the tutelage of veteran professionals Kyle Lightbourne and Shaun Goater, the players are learning what it takes to play at a consistently high level. This has as much to do with off the field training and personal dedication as it does with performing during the match.

That dedication and the refusal to give up was shown in abundance on Monday night, and the players now know what they have to do to win consistently at this level.

The one disappointment in all of this is the poor crowds that are showing up to home matches. Now that the team has shown it can win, there is no excuse for football fans (if there ever was) not to get behind the team and to be the Hogges' "12th man".

With only three matches remaining, it would mean everything to the players if they could have thousands of fans roaring out their support instead of the several hundred dedicated supporters which has been the norm in the last few matches.

Let's go Hogges!