Bermuda 4 Bahamas 0

Bermuda need only a point from their final match to secure qualification to the Concacaf Under-17 Championship in Guatemala next year.

Goals from Dennis Roberts, Chance Eve, Qu’ran Raynor and Bakari Furbert catapulted the island’s youngsters to a 4-0 win over Bahamas at the IMG Academy today to maintain their unblemished record at the top of group A.

“Today’s result was a good result for us,” Cecoy Robinson, the Bermuda coach, told The Royal Gazette.

“We needed to get over the line to ensure that we stay on top of the group, so it was a good result.

“The performance was not what we have been looking for; I thought we played a little bit too slow today. But overall the team as a whole have done really, really well over these past couple of days.”

Bermuda top the group with 12 points with a far superior goal difference over second-placed Bonaire going into their final match on Wednesday against Guyana.

The Guyanese lost precious ground today after playing to a 1-1 stalemate with British Virgin Islands and are out of contention on seven points.

For Bonaire to pull off the improbable, they will need Bermuda to concede their first goals of the tournament in defeat while reversing a minus-17 goal differential against Bahamas.

After labouring to beat group minnows St Martin 2-1 today, that appears highly unlikely — even if Bermuda have a shocker against Guyana.

“We have a plus-19 goal difference and Guyana drew today, so it’s only Bonaire,” Robinson said understatedly. “We should be in a good position with even a draw to make sure we stay top of the group.”

He added: “No goals conceded which has been very, very good. It’s just a testament to the whole team defending from the front and being able to put their bodies on the line when needed.

“Doing the work that needs to be done to make sure that we can retain possession and not give away easy goals. And I think the boys are doing really, really well.”

Robinson’s players have also coped well with a gruelling schedule in Florida.

“Being able to play every other day has been tough,” he admitted. “But the boys have stood up well and they have been committed to the task and to the objective at hand.

“These boys have been focused since before we left home. They have put the work in and just been determined to make we get the right results; going to bed early, getting up early and being on time for different things.

“The small things have made a big difference with this group, so hats off to them. Their success would not be possible without them.”