Bermuda 12 Sint Maarten 0

Bermuda got hat-tricks from Reggie Lambe and Zeiko Lewis as Sint Maarten took another hammering in the Concacaf Nations League last night at the National Stadium, National Sports Centre.

Even substitutes Liam Evans and Tevahn Tyrrell got in on the scoring within minutes of coming on early in the second half, as Bermuda added to a 7-0 half-time lead. By the time Simmons and Lewis completed their hat-tricks in the closing minutes, there was still time to match the 13 that Haiti put past the hapless Dutch-Caribbean side in their opening match last month.

This margin of victory was the biggest since Bermuda hammered Montserrat 13-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in February 2004, when Damon Ming and John Barry Nusum helped themselves to hat-tricks in the rout. The headline the next day in The Royal Gazette screaming “Montserrat Massacre”.

This victory was just as lopsided as the Bermuda team, with four changes to the one that lost 3-1 to Aruba in their last match, totally dominated the youthful Sint Maarten side.

The home team gave an indication of things to come after opening the scoring early on through a Lambe penalty after Osagi Bascome was knocked over inside the box. Lambe placed his spot-kick inside goalkeeper Sjörd van Griensven’s right-hand post.

The goals came fast and furious after that as captain Jovani Anthony and Djai Essed in the heart of the Sint Maarten defence were kept busy by some fast-flowing play by Bermuda, with Lewis and Lejuan Simmons troubling the full backs with their pace on the flanks.

Lewis provided the cross from the left in the twelfth minute for Simmons to blast his shot under the crossbar after Tre Ming’s shot was blocked. Bermuda were full of confidence already and when Lambe added the third and Lewis opened his account to make it 4-0, the visiting side were facing another heavy loss.

Full back Calon Minors, one of the changes from the Aruba match, overlapped down the left before crossing into the middle, where Lambe scored at the second attempt. Simmons went close a few minutes later when he took a pass from midfielder Willie Clemons before shooting wide. A good move around the box created the fourth goal for Bermuda, this time right back Roger Lee passing to Lambe, who crossed to the far post where Lewis was waiting to tap in a simple goal.

Talks of a double-digit victory occupied some minds as three more chances came Bermuda’s way, including defender Dante Leverock, who was captain for the night, having an effort ruled out for offside.

Three goals in the last eight minutes of the half closed out an exciting first half for Bermuda. Midfielder Tre Ming got in on the scoring after running through the middle before slotting home from a narrow angle on rounding the goalkeeper.

Ming then took the corner on the left in the 40th minute that led to Simmons unselfishly crossing to Lewis to tap in his second from close range to make it 6-0. Bascome was soon rewarded for his hard work in midfield when he broke through on the left side and shot low into the far corner for the seventh.

Kyle Lightbourne, the Bermuda coach, had the luxury of a comfortable lead to make a change at the half, bringing on Evans for Ming and then Tyrrell for Clemons four minutes later.

Both contributed to the scoring, with Lewis, Bermuda’s busiest player, crossing after a run into the box and Evans shooting from 25 yards after the ball was only half-cleared. The shot was only partially blocked by Van Griensven before crossing the line.

Simmons took a knock in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and was replaced soon after by William White. Then a long ball forward saw the bounce evade Anthony before Tyrrell raced away to score a good goal as the Sint Maarten captain lay on the ground clutching his hamstring. He was replaced and the first-aid personnel were kept busy in the second half with three Sint Maarten players going down injured.

Lambe missed a sitter from inside the six-yard box after another good cross from Lewis, before Leverock headed in the tenth Bermuda goal in the 73rd minute in the wake of a free kick on the right side by Bascome.

Referee Daneon Parchment then went off with an injury in the 76th minute and was replaced by fellow Jamaican Kari Tyrell, the fourth official.

The last two goals completed hat-tricks for Lambe, in the 83rd minute, and Lewis four minutes later. Lewis was again the provider with a cross from the left, which set up Lambe for his third, with Sint Maarten down to ten men at the time, with striker Jaeremi Deijvers off with a leg injury.

It was fitting that Lewis closed out the scoring with his third goal in the 87th minute. He collected a pass at the far post, turned on his right and curled a low shot into the far bottom corner.

Bermuda return to National Stadium on November 16 for a likely more formidable opponent in El Salvador before completing the qualifying phase with a match away to Dominican Republic, 3-0 victors over Cayman Islands last night, on March 24.

SCORERS

Bermuda

Lambe 9 pen, 17, 83

Simmons 12

Lewis 27, 40, 87

Ming 37, Bascome 43, Evans 52

Tyrrell 61, Leverock 73

TEAMS

Bermuda (4-3-3): D Eve — R Lee, J Bather, D Leverock, C Minors — T Ming (sub: L Evans, 46min), W Clemons (sub: T Tyrrell, 50), O Bascome — R Lambe, L Simmons (sub: W White, 62), Z Lewis. Substitutes not used: J Hill, D Usher, M Warren, D Brangman, J Smith, C Robinson, C Castle, L Steede-Jackson. Booked: White.

Sint Maarten (4-4-2): S Van Griensven — A Knol, D Essed, J Anthony (sub: J Lindo, 62), R Boelijn — B Wong, K Richards (sub: K Bazil, 87), Y Dinane (sub: B Potmis, 67), R Prince – J Drijvers, E La Cruz. Substitutes not used: J Pierre Gabriel, T Bartley, D Lange, N Drijvers, J Wadilie. Booked: Van Griensven.

Referee: D Parchment (Jamaica; K Tyrell, Jamaica, 76)