Bermuda?s national football team left the National Stadium in Waterford, St. Michael?s last night with their heads held high and their Digicel Cup hopes alive.

The visiting Bermudians defied the odds after being reduced to ten men, after goalkeeper Timmy Figureido was sent off just four minutes into the match, and kept the heavily-fancied Bajans at bay.

With a little luck, Bermuda just might have pulled off what had initially seemed the impossible right at the end of a fast paced contest played in muddy conditions and intermit drizzles.

But with glory beckoning, second-half substitute Tyrell Burgess fired high and wide, providing Barbados with the single point needed to automatically qualify for January?s finals in Trinidad and Tobago.

St. Vincent?s hard-fought 3-2 win over a rejuvenated Bahamas earned them the other remaining automatic spot in the finals.

Bermuda, undoubtedly buoyed by last night?s inspired performance, will now travel to Trinidad to battle in a triangular play-off series, starting on December 7, for the right to advance to the finals.

?I think Bermuda deserve a lot of praise for the manner in which they played after the early setback. I actually thought they played well enough to win the match,? commented Sports Minister Randy Horton after witnessing the Island?s determined performance.

?I also thought the 1-1 result was a good one when you look at the match and the unfortunate circumstances right at the beginning.

?I was really impressed by the manner in which they approached the game and the manner in which John Barry Nusum scored. That was some excellent finishing on his behalf.?

Heading into last night?s match Bermuda had everything to play for.

Yet their night would get off to the worst possible start when Barbados? English Premiership player Paul Ifill beat the off-side trap and raced toward goal. Advancing well outside of the 18-yard box to try and narrow the angle, Bermuda ?keeper Figureido instinctively handled Ifill?s delicate lob and was immediately shown red by Dominican Republic referee Felix Mercedes.

Things quickly went from bad to worse, particularly for midfielder Jelani Scott ? making his first start of the tournament ? who was sacrificed to allow for back-up goalkeeper Nigel Burgess to assume duties between the uprights.

Ifill then clinically rubbed salt in the wound when he drilled home the resulting free-kick past a wrong-footed Burgess who received his first touch of the ball retrieving it out of the back of the net.

When the dust had settled Bermuda were clearly disorganised and fortunate not to fall further behind as the Bajans piled on the pressure and created golden opportunities to convert.

Penetrating deep into Bermuda terrain, Ifill nearly doubled his team?s lead. But on this occasion the Sheffield United striker lifted his effort over the bar from a slightly acute angle with only Burgess to beat.

These chances eventually came back to haunt the Bajans as Bermuda reorganised themselves, grew in confidence and then stunned the host team when striker John Barry Nusum put the finishing touch on a menacing solo run down the right side by Domico Coddington, who proved to be a thorn in the Bajans? side all night.

Coddington blew past his marker, negotiated a puddle of water and then found a closely-marked Nusum in the middle whose first-time shot beat ?keeper Alvin Rouse at the near post, and silenced the 3,000-plus crowd at the National Stadium.

At the half, the match was still wide open.

But ten minutes after the restart, Barbados again had the ball in the back of the net. However, Norman Forde?s effort was ruled off-side, allowing Bermuda to dodge another bullet.

Bajan sub Ramuel Miller also came close, but he shot high and wide with only the keeper to contend with from a few yards out.

Evidently, the Bajans ignored lessons from the first half. And it nearly cost them the game as a gutsy Bermuda ? with every team member going beyond the call of duty ? controlled the tempo for the remainder of the match and threatened to pull off the unthinkable.

A deafening silence descended in the ground as Keith Jennings? corner kick grazed the underside of the bar before being frantically cleared away.

Then teenaged Burgess found himself with a gilt-edged opportunity to put the Bajans out of their misery. However, the youngster?s shot sailed over the bar and along with it Bermuda?s hopes of taking the short route to the final.

?I thought we were just a bit unlucky. You can?t really blame anyone . .. it was just one of those games,? said Bermuda captain Nusum afterwards.

?For 90 minutes playing with ten men we stayed in the game. And then in the second half we put them under a lot of pressure.? Bermuda?s national team return home tonight.A.Rouse, E.DeFreitas, P.Ifill, G.Goodridge (J.Straker, 89 mins), N.Forde (capt), R.Fenty, D.James, K.Skinner (J.Blackman, 75 mins), R.Brathwaite, J.Hawkesworth, M.Marshall (R.Miller, 45 mins). T.Figureido, K.Richards (S.Astwood, 85 mins), B.Bean, S.Lewis, D.Cox, K.Smith, D.Coddington (T.Burgess, 71 mins), K.Steede, K.Jennings, J.Scott (N.Burgess, 4 mins), J.Nusum (capt): J.Hawkesworth (Barbados); K.Jennings (Bermuda): T.Figureido (Bermuda). F.Mercedes (Dominican Republic)M.Victoire (Martinique).