after a seven-minute period in Sunday's World Cup qualifier with Jamaica that changed the match.

Paynter scored a terrific header to complete Bermuda's unlikely comeback from two goals down, but before the visitors could further consummate their second-half superiority they were dealt a terrible blow.

"The hand-ball came about when I went up to butt the ball and lost my balance, and the ball fell towards my hand,'' said Paynter yesterday. "The referee didn't see it but the linesman had his flag up.'' Hector Wright, who opened the scoring for Jamaica after only five minutes with a cracking 30-yarder, slotted home the spot-kick to give the home side a hard-fought win that lifted themn into a second-place tie in the group on four points with Canada. El Salvador beat the Canadians 3-2 in British Columbia on Sunday.

Paynter added: "It was a bad feeling but my team-mates were very good about it and they told me to keep my head up and that they were behind me. But it still doesn't take away that feeling.'' It was a sad turnaround for Paynter who scored his first international goal in spectacular fashion only minutes earlier, awkwardly thrusting himself at a Paul Cann cross to score past stunned Jamaica goalkeeper Warren Barrett with a cracking header.

"It was the greatest goal I've ever scored, though I didn't actually see it go in the net,'' he said.

While Paynter's pain is a matter of the heart, two team-mates who started on Sunday are nursing injuries that forced them out of the Jamaica match.

Kyle Lightbourne and Leroy Stevens both had to be substituted because of first-half knocks but are hoping to recover in time for the Canada match.

Lightbourne has a bruised hip while Stevens is sporting a bandaged knee after getting injured in the first minute of the game.

"I'm looking to be about three days off the leg and will try to be ready for Sunday,'' Stevens explained. "The first two minutes I really felt it but I wanted to stay on until the half. I showed my spirit on the field, still.'' Stevens has not missed a game for his country since his debrut against Lokomotiv Moscow two years ago.

Likely to keep his spot is his former Boulevard team-mate David Bascome who had a good match in the midfield, his first full match in the World Cup campaign.

"I feel I can still take it a step further,'' Bascome said of his performance on Sunday. "I'm being more safe than anything as far as dribbling. I'm just trying to work my way back into the team. We can only go up from now. In the second half we really went deep and it was all about pride.'' A reception on the top floor of the Bermuda team's hotel, hosted by Sports Minister Pam Gordon on Sunday night, helped to lift the spirits of an obviously disappointed group.

"I was disappointed in the result but I was proud of the way our team rallied together in the second half,'' said Gordon. "Unfortunately they beat us on that penalty shot and the guys were really very depressed afterwards.'' Gordon said that it was important that the players be acknowledged for what they have accomplished, especially at a time when spirits were so low.

"Some of them were extremely emotional and they felt they let the country down and I just wanted to show them that if they did their best that's all that matters and today they did their best.'' The bulk of the Bermuda supporters will fly back home tomorrow but the team left Jamaica yesterday and are now back in Florida preparing for the very crucial two games with Canada that will decide their fate.

NEIL PAYNTER -- "It was a bad feeling...''