HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – Barbados coach Colin Forde is confident his side can turn the tables on Bermuda in their final CONCACAF Group B World Cup qualifier at the National Sports Centre here tomorrow. Bermuda edged 10-man Barbados 2-1 in their first meeting at windy NSC on Friday after the visitors took the lead before having their goalkeeper Jason Boxill sent off in the 25th minute.
Forde said afterwards his team could have got something out of the game had Boxill not been dismissed.
Boxill was red-carded for bringing down Bermuda winger Damon Ming. Skipper Khano Smith, who played in an uncustomed central defensive role alongside fellow veteran John Barry Nusum, who stroked home the equaliser from the penalty kick.
“It was a good game. We had it under control early on with the goal and I thought we were playing very well,” said Forde, whose side took the lead in the seventh minute through Diquan Adamson.
“Unfortunately, we got a player sent off and conceded a penalty so that put us behind in a sense for the rest of the match.”
Boxill was replaced by substitute goalkeeper Bentley Springer after Kyle Gibson was sacrificed.
Forde believes his side, who have lost all their matches in a group that also contains Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, can leave the island with a consolation win tomorrow.
“I think tomorrow will be a bit better on our part. We will play with 11 men obviously and that could alter things as well,” he said.
“Bermuda did have chances but that was after we were down and we will look to bounce back tomorrow and leave with a win.”
Kwame Steede secured the winner in the 49th minute but Bermuda coach Devarr Boyles was disappointed he side did not kill off the game far earlier.
Bermuda missed a host of second-half opportunities to increase the 2-1 scoreline in what became a largely one-sided affair.
Reggie Lambe, Damon Ming and Steede were all guilty of squandering gilt-edged scoring chances to put the game to bed, leaving Boyles bemoaning his side’s lack of penetrative threat.
“The result was what we wanted but the performance wasn’t what we were looking for,” said Boyles. “I’m disappointed with some aspects of our play and there are several things we have to work on.”