Bermuda’s World Cup journey over

Bermuda were just 9 minutes away from prolonging their 2014 World Cup adventure at the National Sports Centre last night.

After John Barry Nusum (whose Mum works in my office – oh what I do for a claim to fame) headed in a 71st minute corner to put Bermuda 1-0 up (photo), they couldn’t hold on for another famous victory as Ebbsfleet United’s Ricky Shakes (one of three English non-leaguers in the Guyana squad) headed past ex-Charlton trialist Freddie Hall 10 minutes later.

A win for Bermuda would have kept them right up in the qualification frame with two games against the group’s whipping boys Barbados yet to come, but a journey into the 3rd Round of qualifying to join the region’s big hitters Mexico, USA, Honduras and others is no longer a possibility as two games between table topping Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago will decide then group winner and so the Gombey Warriors best finish can only be 2nd.

Guyana were well marshalled at the back by Leon Cort but Bermuda played exceptionally well against a country more than ten times it’s size. The game was played in front of a noisy crowd and Bermuda had a couple of chances at the death to grab a winner but it wasn’t to be.

Nevertheless Bermuda, which is the lowest ranked and by far the smallest country in it’s group can be very proud of their efforts this week and I hope they go on the beat Barbados home and away to lift the recent gloom surrounding the Island’s sports teams.