A HAT-TRICK of hat-tricks! Nine goals in three games!

When was the last time any player in Bermuda's top flight put together such a remarkable goal-scoring streak? Certainly not in recent memory.

Yet no one should be too surprised by the current form of Devonshire Cougars marksman Raymond Beach. He and his strike partner, Heys Wolfe, have been rattling the back of the net with alarming regularity for the past two or three seasons.

What might come as a surprise is the fact that still neither feature in the World Cup plans of national coach Kenny Thompson.

And there has to be a good reason for that.

Just a few days after Bermuda's matches against Trinidad & Tobago last week ? the first of which Thompson's side lost 1-0 despite creating a host of chances ? the Cougars pair combined to thump six goals, three each, past Somerset Eagles.

Then on Tuesday night, against defending league champions, North Village, Beach banged home another three in a crucial 3-2 victory which sent Cougars to the top of the table.

If there's been a blemish on the Beach-Wolfe show in the last week it came in the form of their behaviour at Thursday night's second international against Trinidad when both players had to be escorted back into the grandstand after reportedly hurling abuse at coach Thompson.

They now face a Bermuda Football Association disciplinary hearing ? hardly the best route to follow in the quest for national team selection.

Yet what still can't be overlooked is the form these two players have shown on the pitch ? particularly at a time when the national team is crying out for a natural goalscorer.

To be fair to Thompson, both were initially invited to take part in national squad training and when they failed to show Thompson even went the extra mile by approaching the Cougars coach in the hope he could persuade them to jump on board. It was to no avail.

Now, apparently, Beach and Wolfe have had a change of heart. They want to play for their country, and they're willing to abide by all the rules and regulations attached to such an honour.

The ball's now back in Thompson's court, and as he explained to The Royal Gazette yesterday, it's a decision he won't be rushing.

By all accounts, he admires their talent and recognises what both could bring to the national squad. But at the same time he's determined to stand by those players whose loyalty and commitment have already resulted in a marked improvement in the way the national team are playing.

His dilemma now is whether to risk disrupting squad harmony by bringing in two players who, while enormously talented, haven't always shown the attitude one might expect from players representing their country.

Most of those who have seen Beach and Wolfe in action during the last week would likely say it's well worth the gamble.

If they can duplicate at national level what they're consistently doing at domestic level, then Thompson, and Bermuda, have much to look forward to.

But at the end of the day, it's Kenny's call. And given what he's already achieved in a short space of time, his decision should be respected.

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AMIDST all the controversy surrounding the last seconds of Sunday's Dandy Town-North Village clash at Bernard Park where a hotly-disputed goal gave Town a share of the points, there was a measure of rationale in the Village camp which ultimately prevented the incident from escalating into something much worse.

Village president Shervin Dill was probably as upset as anyone that his side had been denied victory by a goal that nine times out of ten would have been disallowed. Yet, unlike a few of his players, his concern for the safety and security of officials took precedence over all else.

Indeed, he ensured that those same officials were escorted to their vehicles by senior club members.

In emotional circumstances, it was refreshing to see common sense prevail.

Hopefully, a few of Bermuda's other club leaders will take a leaf out of Dill's book.

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