Bermuda?s footballers have been warned to be wary of St. Vincent & The Grenadines in next month?s Digicel Cup.

The advice comes from referee Tony Mouchette who two weeks ago officiated in a third-round World Cup qualifier between that Caribbean nation and hosts St.Kitts-Nevis.

The visitors prevailed 3-0 to move into the group-phase of qualifying against the likes of the USA, en route impressing the Bermudian linesman.

?They should definitely not be underestimated. They are not a world class team but they are a good Caribbean team and should not be taken lightly,? said Mouchette, adding that St. Vincent were prone to let the game come to them rather than being aggressive and forcing the pace.

The Vincentian squad, he revealed, had acquired the services of a Yugoslavian coach and ?have a systematic style of play with a slow build-up at the back and the ball being knocked forward when the opportunity arises?.

The 2003-04 Referee of the Year anticipates the Bermuda-St. Vincent clash will be a good one if both sides are at full strength.

?St. Vincent?s standard of play is a little higher than ours but I think if we had our full national team, including our international players, it would be a very competitive game. Playing against teams like that can only improve our standard.?

St. Vincent will host Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands in the first round of Group E matches in the Digicel Cup from November 24-28. This tournament is a qualifier for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup to be held in the USA next July.

By contrast to his opinion of St. Vincent, Mouchette ?wasn?t impressed with St.Kitts or their style of play at all?. He revealed their paltry on-field performance was compounded by the fact that their first-choice goalkeeper withdrew from the line-up on the eve of the match after learning there was a possibility of drug testing.

?We are on par with or a bit better than St. Kitts so I think it must be luck of the draw that they got through that far. I?m quite sure we could be competitive with St. Kitts,? he said.

The October 13 match was contested before some 350 spectators in soggy conditions because of downpours prior to kick-off.

Mouchette was pleased with his and his fellow officials? performances, especially as the game was devoid of controversy.

?On a scale of one to ten, I thought my performance was an eight. I?m glad to say no unfair goals were scored and none were allowed as the result of errors by officials.

?The spirit of the game was good and it was nice to see players come and shake the officials? hands when it was over,? he recalled.

If there was one thing which shocked him though it was the facilities at Warner Park which has been selected as a venue for Cricket World Cup 2007.

Comparing it to Southampton Rangers in infrastructure, Mouchette speculated it must have been a ?political decision? because Bermuda?s National Sports Centre is a far superior complex.

?They have the old-style stone seats. They have to rebuild their whole stadium and their field is nowhere near the quality of our national stadium?s field,? he declared, though conceding it was much larger.