The cheers may have drowned it out but there was a collective sigh of relief that reverberated around the National Stadium when the referee finally put the whistle to his lips.

That moment could well be a watershed one for Bermuda's first football professional team who made history last night by recording their debut victory.

The hundreds of spectators who clapped, cried and chewed their fingernails to the bone throughout the nervy encounter have had a long wait for a meaningful celebration - but that pain and disappointment quickly evaporated when the four-minutes of injury time subsided.

In the words of skipper Kwame Steede the Hogges have "taken a fair few 'licks" this season, and at times they must have wondered if, not when, this so satisfying win would come.

But as soon as it emerged the names Goater and Lightbourne had been included on the Hogges teammsheet a sense of intent and belief engulfed players and supporters alike.

For goalscoring is a voodoo; the magic of putting the ball in the back of the net - and in Goater they possess a master magician still more than capable of pulling the rabbit out the hat.

And on nine-minutes he sent the crowd into raptures when he capitalised on a defensive error - usually associated with his own team - and ruthlessly dispatched the ball into past keeper Sergio Saccoccio.

His partner in crime "Killer" Lightbourne wasn't bad either with his deft touches, flicks around the corner, and intelligent link up play that seemed to add another dimension to Ralph Bean's game.

But disaster temporarily struck five minutes later and it seemed as though another sad Hogges story was on the cards. It was a goal out of nothing with Neil Krause's long-range shot deceiving re-called keeper Jason Williams and flying into the far right-hand corner of the net.

But with Goater and Lightbourne rolling back the years the Hogges had an attacking focal point and continued to dictate with Jared Peniston grazing the post after excellent work by Bean.

It was slightly ironic the Hogges regained their lead on the stroke of half-time considering the number of goals they have leaked at that stage of a game this season.

Phantoms defender James Greenlit was adjudged to have hauled Lightbourne to the ground, allowing Goater to bag his brace with an unnerving spot-kick.

The second-half saw the Hogges continue to enjoy the superior swathes of possession and had not been for the heroics of keeper Saccoccio they could, and should, have killed the game off.

But the longer the score-line remained the more likely it appeared Phantoms could spoil the premature party being hatched in the stands.

While the surnames of Goater and Lightbourne may be familiar with the Hogges faithful, the names of Jabrel Tucker and Sean Simmons may not.

Both debutantes put in encouraging displays and Simmons, along with Omar Shakir, ensured Phantoms were kept at bay with Williams only having to make one save of significance.

In Simmons the Hogges may have unearthed the type of player they have lacked so far. The agricultural defender kicked lumps out of everything that moved and like a proverbial bollard blocked Phantoms attacks legally and, if required, illegally.

While Goater's goals may grab the headlines this was a real a team performance and one the Hogges desperately needed in order to finally hatch from their franchise egg.

Captain Kwame Steede praised his teammates after the nervy clash and said the entire squad had taken Bermuda Hogges to their hearts.

"This victory means a lot to all of us and we're delighted to finally get it under our belts," he said. "We have taken our licks this season but we have stuck together.

"We may all play for different domestic clubs but every player has taken Hogges to our hearts - this shirt means a lot to us."