Bermuda 6 Dominica 1

Nahki Wells made a triumphant return with a first-half hat-trick and a late assist as Bermuda thrashed Dominica in the Nations League at the Flora Duffy Stadium on Saturday night.

The Bristol City forward had an eventful 87 minutes on the field, with goals in the ninth, eighteenth and 26th minutes to take his international goal tally to 20. He also provided the final pass for substitute Knory Scott’s goal in the 85th minute. Zeiko Lewis and Jai Bean, who replaced Wells, were the other scorers for the Gombey Warriors.

Dominica, who looked threatening on the counter-attack, got their consolation goal from Travist Joseph on the hour mark.

With Dominican Republic, the top team in group D, having hammered Antigua & Barbuda 5-0 in an earlier match, it was crucial that Bermuda also notched up a big win to boost their goal difference as they attempt to hunt the league leaders down.

Wells, who last appeared in Bermuda colours in a 2-0 loss to Guyana at home in March 2023, was delighted to make a huge difference.

“It’s great to be back for sure,’’ the 34-year-old told The Royal Gazette. “Most importantly, it’s about getting the three points in the group and trying to keep up with the group leaders Dominican Republic.

“To score a first-half hat-trick, it went as well as it could have. I dream of such situations in every game, even when it seems impossible you have to visualise and manifest these type of things.

“I know being back at home there’s a lot of pressure on me, but that’s where I thrive the most. I wanted to make sure that after being away I gave the country everything that I’m capable of.

“I feel like we could have still gotten a couple more goals to be honest, but we made it an easy game by getting the goals earlier. I guess that made us a lot more comfortable unit.”

Lack of sharpness in front of goal has been glaring for Bermuda in their last few matches, with chances created but not taken.

“What was key for us was being clinical and ruthless,’’ the former Bermuda captain said. “We shouldn’t have lost that game to Dominican Republic, so being ruthless is something that we lacked.

“Today our first real chance we got, we took it. I guess there was no looking back and that’s something we need to work on going forward.

“We need to tell ourselves that when we take the lead, we don’t put our foot off the gas, we go for the kill.”

Wells linked up really well with fellow veteran Reggie Lambe, who he has been playing with from a young age.

“It’s key having Reggie on the pitch,’’ the hat-trick hero said. “Reggie and I have played together since we were young, club and international football.

“We have an understanding and a link as he provided an assist for my second goal. He nearly got me very early on but if you look back at a lot of my goals, he has a big role to play in them.

“He’s been one of our main players over the last 15 to 20 years and to still play with him it’s such an honour. Thanks to him and his leadership skills in the side.”

Before heading to the stadium, the Bermuda players were glued to the television keeping an eye on the Dominican Republic match and should the top two teams in the group win their next two matches, it will come down to a final match on 19 November to decide who secures automatic qualification to next year’s Gold Cup.

“A lot of us watched the match since it was televised,’’ Wells said. “It was about trying to better their scoreline because we know it could come down to goal difference.

“We know we’re probably going to challenge ourselves against them in the next break. We still have to beat Dominica on Tuesday and put the pressure on Dominican Republic to still beat whoever they play, but the aim is to win our remaining fixtures.

“It’s about winning on Tuesday, and then it’s about trying to win those next two fixtures. If we want to top the group, we have to win and taking points off Dominican Republic is our main priority as they took points off us down in Antigua & Barbuda.”

Bermuda captain Dale Eve was called into action in the first minute of the game to deny Javid George.

Wells came close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute when his effort went wide of goal. Four minutes later, he showed his sharpness in front of goal to give Bermuda the lead by connecting well with a long pass.

Wells hit the crossbar from a free kick in the seventeenth minute but there was no woodwork to save Dominica a minute later as a brilliant pass from Lambe resulted in the Bristol City striker burying the ball into the far post.

Wells got his hat-trick from the spot after Reece Jones Jr was impeded by Glenson Prince, the Dominica goalkeeper. While Prince dived the right way, he could not get his hands on the ball for Wells to get his third for the night 26 minutes into the match.

It could have been four for Wells had the post not denied him in the 41st minute, having missed the target with a stylish finish off a Blaiz Hall pass a minute before. Hall also saw the woodwork stand between him and his first senior international goal on the stroke of half-time.

Four minutes after the break, Hall was in the mix with a pass for Lewis to weigh in with the fourth goal for Bermuda with a brilliant left-footed strike on the second attempt.

A desperate dive from Eve was not enough to keep out Joseph’s shot at goal as Bermuda’s defence was breached for the first time in the match.

Two minutes before receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted, Wells made his final contribution as he threaded a pass for Scott to score Bermuda’s fifth goal. Bean took three minutes after coming on to add the sixth for Bermuda to boost their goal difference by five goals.