T&T’s senior footballers kept their chance of a FIFA World Cup berth alive when they thrashed Bermuda 3-0 in a crucial Group B qualifier on Friday night at the National Stadium, National Sports Centre in North Shore, Hamilton, Bermuda.

With the win, the T&T players honoured national coach Dwight Yorke’s call to deliver, only the day before.

After a goalless tie against Curacao in their first game and a 2-0 loss to Jamaica in Kingston, the T&T team entered the match needing to win all its remaining matches to win the group and assure itself an automatic passage to the World Cup.

After a cagey start, the Bermudans looked the more dangerous team. Captain Nahki Wells pulled away from his marker in the fifth minute, but even when he received a pass from Keziah Martin, Wells’ shot went straight into the comfortable arms of Denzil Smith in the T&T goal.

The chance spurred the home team to increase their efforts, and they got another. This time, Wells, despite his age at 35, showed blinding speed to reach a long searching ball in the 8th minute that was directed to him, but still his shot from inside the T&T penalty area was gobbled up by Smith.

T&T settled slowly and, in almost their first attempt, forged ahead. Spicer, the dangerman on the left side of the Bermudans’ penalty area, released to the unmarked Levi Garcia on the right side to use his speed to get past his marker on the right side. Garcia reached the byline before pulling it back to Dante Sealy to hit the ball into the empty net, as goalkeeper Dale Eve looked on.

With both teams in need of a win, as T&T stood third on the Group B standings and Bermuda in fourth, T&T increased their search for another item when Crystal Palace’s Rio Cardines lifted a ball to Sealy on the right side to take nicely on the chest before letting go to Steffen Yeates, who came for midfielder Kevin Molino in the centre of the park.

But Yeates, with the entire goal in front of him, hit it hard and low, but it didn’t trouble Eve in the Bermuda goal area in the 26th minute.

Four minutes later, Spicer, who despite his impressive skills on the ball had not scored for the red, white, and black of T&T, finally broke the jinx. Defender Martin could not take control of the ball when Eve delivered it from the goal kick, and Spicer intercepted it, using his speed to put him in a one-on-one with Eve. However, the onrushing Eve could not prevent Spicer from pushing the ball past him before he sent it into the empty net for a 2-0 advantage.

After the resumption, T&T wasted little time in moving to 3-0 and strengthening their hold on the match. Sealy, given the responsibility for the free kick on top of the Bermuda penalty area, curled the ball to goal, but Eve’s outstretched arms could only parry the ball into the path of defender Kobi Henry to head into the first post.

And later, the T&T team was unlucky not to increase the scoreline, as Garcia, the Spartak Moscow attacker, was picked out with a ball on the right side. Confronted by two defenders, Garcia skilfully left his markers for dead with a deft cut back with the right, then he curled the ball onto the far post with goalkeeper Eve totally beaten…

Despite the scoreline, the home team never gave up hope, but their attacks were broken up anytime they entered the T&T defensive third.

T&T settled slowly and, in almost their first attempt, forged ahead. Spicer, the dangerman on the left side of the Bermudans’ penalty area, released to the unmarked Levi Garcia on the right side to use his speed to get past his marker on the right side. Garcia reached the byline before pulling it back to Dante Sealy to hit the ball into the empty net, as goalkeeper Dale Eve looked on.

With both teams in need of a win, as T&T stood third on the Group B standings and Bermuda in fourth, T&T increased their search for another item when Crystal Palace’s Rio Cardines lifted a ball to Sealy on the right side to take nicely on the chest before letting go to Steffen Yeates, who came for midfielder Kevin Molino in the centre of the park.

But Yeates, with the entire goal in front of him, hit it hard and low, but it didn’t trouble Eve in the Bermuda goal area in the 26th minute.

Four minutes later, Spicer, who despite his impressive skills on the ball had not scored for the red, white, and black of T&T, finally broke the jinx. Defender Martin could not take control of the ball when Eve delivered it from the goal kick, and Spicer intercepted it, using his speed to put him in a one-on-one with Eve. However, the onrushing Eve could not prevent Spicer from pushing the ball past him before he sent it into the empty net for a 2-0 advantage.

After the resumption, T&T wasted little time in moving to 3-0 and strengthening their hold on the match. Sealy, given the responsibility for the free kick on top of the Bermuda penalty area, curled the ball to goal, but Eve’s outstretched arms could only parry the ball into the path of defender Kobi Henry to head into the first post.

And later, the T&T team was unlucky not to increase the scoreline, as Garcia, the Spartak Moscow attacker, was picked out with a ball on the right side. Confronted by two defenders, Garcia skilfully left his markers for dead with a deft cut back with the right, then he curled the ball onto the far post with goalkeeper Eve totally beaten…

Despite the scoreline, the home team never gave up hope, but their attacks were broken up anytime they entered the T&T defensive third. (Extracted from Trinidad and Tobago Guardian)