It was not one of Shawn Goater's better goals but his 87th-minute strike yesterday at the National Stadium gave Bermuda the win they desperately wanted to take to Haiti for the second leg of this World Cup qualifying match next month.

"It was enough to keep my chin up,'' the 21-year-old Rotherham striker said of his ninth goal for Bermuda, which clinched the win to mark the country's return to the World Cup after an absence of 24 years.

Despite holding the upper hand Bermuda were being denied particularly by Haitian goalkeeper Reginal Pierre Gerome who made a number of important saves before finally being beaten three minutes from time.

The opening was created by a player who was only brought into the Bermuda team on the morning of the match because of the withdrawal of substitute Albert Smith.

Philip Clarke had the crowd gasping with a dribble into the box, which resulted in a left-foot shot that the 'keeper could only parry and Goater pounced to tap the ball home to keep up his goal-a-game sequence at the stadium.

Haiti would have been happy to take a draw back home for the second leg on May 24, though manager Ernst Baptiste later said: "We went for the win.'' After nervous starts by both teams it was Bermuda, led for the first time by Hereford professional Meshach Wade who returned from a knee injury, who looked the more likely winners as front men Kyle Lightbourne and Sammy Swan looked threatening during the early stages.

Bermuda took 14 minutes to force their first corner but neither that nor two that followed in the 15th and 17th minutes were capitalised on as the visiting defence coped well.

Midway through the first half Bermuda stepped up a gear as midfielder Kenny Thompson drove a 25-yard shot wide in the 20th minute as he tried to catch the 'keeper off guard.

A good Bermuda move in the 29th minute saw Gerome block Lightbourne's shot with his legs and when the ball was knocked back into the middle the 'keeper punched the ball off the head of Goater before Swan's first-time volley brought off a good save by the retreating 'keeper.

The best chance of the first half for Bermuda came in the 32nd minute when a defence-splitting pass by Thompson enabled Swan to spring the offside trap but with just Gerome to beat his effort was blocked.

Haiti, with Frantz Laquerre, Moise Derivoie and Jacob Bordenave trying to make things happen in midfield, came close to breaking the deadlock in the 39th minute when a near-post header from the unmarked Robert Denis went just wide following a corner.

The Haitians made a late surge and only the brilliance of 'keeper Dwayne Adams denied them in the 44th minute after a good move down the left saw a shot from Denis pushed wide of the near post by the diving Adams.

Defender Shawn Smith saved Bermuda a minute into injury time when he cleared off the line after Adams' only mistake as he went several yards for a cross and failed to collect.

Before the danger was cleared Bordenave's shot went across goal and just past the far post.

Haitian pair Roland Dartiguenave and Luckner Baptiste were booked in the second minute of the second half, the first for a foul and the other for dissent. Bermuda also had an injury setback as Sammy Swan went down with a shoulder injury, which eventually forced his substitution in the 53rd minute as Rodney Bascome came on.

Haiti had another player, Laquerre, booked in the 58th minute for shoving Kentoine Jennings from behind.

Thompson was behind another threatening Bermuda raid in the 69th minute when, after a neat flick by Goater, he produced a gem of a cross to the far post where Lightbourne volleyed just wide.

Lightbourne became the fourth player booked in the 71st minute, for a deliberate hand-ball following a Voorhees Astwood free kick on the left.

Behind chants of "we want a goal,'' Bermuda went surging ahead in the closing minutes as Lightbourne drove a free kick from 20 yards just wide after Jennings had been fouled by Dartiguenave.

Haiti, too, were now looking for a late winner as substitute Rosemont Pierre got off a shot that produced a good save from the diving Adams in the 85th minute. Adams recovered quickly enough to slap the ball away from the lurking Charlie Eliazar, another sub, at the far post.

"This is the third game without giving up a goal but we can't go down there trying to defend one goal,'' Bermuda manager Gary Darrell said afterwards.

"I'm just happy to take something down there, it didn't look like it was going to happen for us for a while. We had enough chances to have had a couple (of goals) but it wasn't happening for us with Kyle and Shawn not quite being on their game.'' Bermuda: D.Adams; K.Grant, S.Smith, L.Stevens, V.Astwood; K.Thompson, M.Wade, K.Jennings; K.Lightbourne (P.Clarke, 83 mins), S.Goater, S.Swan (R.Bascome, 53 mins).

Haiti: R.Pierre Gerome; C.Thelisma, R.Dartiguenave, L.Baptiste, L.Bowlin; F.Laquerre (C.Eliazar, 67 mins), M.Derivoie, J.Bordenave; I.Chauvet, R.Denis, P.Tardieu (R.Pierre, 84 mins).

Men of the match: Kentoine Jennings (Bermuda); Reginal Pierre Gerome (Haiti).

Referee: Raul Dominguez (United States).

Linesmen: Robert Heilmann, Jozef Michna (both United States).

The BFA will hold a special general meeting for all affiliates this evening at 7.30 at the Warwick Workman's Club.

ON THE WAY THROUGH -- Substitute Philip Clarke dribbles past Chrismonor Thelisma before unleashing a fierce shot that led to Bermuda's winning goal.

SEQUENCES OF SUCCESS -- The all-important goal that gives Bermuda the upper hand going to Haiti on May 24 for the second leg. (1) Shawn Goater beats defender Roland Dartiguenave to the ball after goalkeeper Reginal Pierre Gerome could only parry a drive from Philip Clarke, far left; (2) Goater provides the vital touch; and (3) starts the celebrations.