Bermuda 3 Nicaragua 0

Shaun Goater returned to national duty in triumphant fashion last night, smacking home two of Bermuda's goals in a 3-0 blitz of Nicaragua.

Had he not muffed a shot from within a whisker of the net the third would also have been his, thus ensuring a fairytale hat-trick for the international pro to take back to England with him.

His header at the back post in the first half put the Island ahead 1-0 in the first half and a second-half penalty doubled his and the team's tally.

His contribution, in his first match for his homeland in four years, was more than just filling the net twice as the Reading front man kept talking to and encouraging his young team-mates throughout, giving them pointers or applauding various initiatives on their part.

All the while a packed National Sports Centre - led by a boisterous male trio in the grandstand - warmed to the home side, chanting “Feed the Goat and he will score” and other hastily-composed choruses such as “Kenny Thompson's blue and white army”.

However fans could be be forgiven for initially fearing they would not have seen the best of Bermuda, as the first half was nothing to write home about with both teams engaging in a cat-and-mouse exercise, neither clearly wanting to concede any advantage.

Very often players on both sides opted to pass the ball back instead of venturing forward when they were glaring opportunities to do so.

However as Bermuda began to get the measure of their Central American opponents, their confidence grew and in the 30th minute Shannon Burgess' initiative to get in a second cross - after a corner kick had come straight across the goal from left to right - paid dividends with the wily Goater rising to tuck the ball inside the left post.

The crowd went wild with delight!

This was what they had thronged the complex to see - the Island's favourite footballing son doing what he does best.

That sent Bermuda into another gear and while they didn't entirely abandon the circumspection which characterised their first 45 minutes and still made some schoolboy errors, it was a different approach in the second half as they sought more success.

For their part, Nicaragua went from adequate to less than that after the break. The few promising build ups, often coming through Emilio Palacios and Sergio Rodriguez, which might have given them some hope in the first half withered to virtually nil in the second.

Meanwhile, the likes of Damon Ming, Stephen Astwood, Clevon Hill and Khano Smith were beginning to combine well to try and do exactly what spectators asked - feed the Goat.

Unselfishly, Goater - showing his skill as a thinking footballer - sent a number of good passes and crosses the young guns' ways also.

In the 61st minute, the veteran pro accounted for Bermuda's second goal when he won a penalty after Nicaraguan defender Hevel Quintanilla tugged his shirt hard as a lofted ball came into the area. Goater retaliated with a push but referee Stuart Crockwell had already blown for the earlier infringement.

In ice-cool manner, Goater stepped forward and calmly planted the penalty in the net's bottom, left corner.

Bermuda were firmly in the driver's seat and, as those watching indulged in the Mexican wave, Thompson's men looked for more goals. A sizzling David Thomas cross from deep on the right wing sent fans to their feet again as Goater met it with full force from about 12 yards only to see his right-footer parried two-handed by Nicaraguan ‘keeper Danny Tellex.

Substitutes Carlos Smith, Jared Peniston and Rohaan Simons added greater speed to the attack and had their guests in a frenzy trying to keep Bermuda at bay.

However, in the 90th minute, Smith's persistence on the left flank secured the perfect crescendo which all Bermuda wanted. Getting the better of a sliding tackle, Smith bore down on goal and squared the ball to Goater. Unfortunately, it got stuck underfoot and his effort bobbled towards Tellex who pushed it away in desperation.

Simons, in his trademark gutsy style, rushed in and scrapped for the rebound which he fired home.

It was a superb way for the relief striker to cap his 27th birthday and showed why he is making a name for himself as a “super sub”; having come on to secure a vital equaliser for the Island against Trinidad & Tobago earlier this season.

Bermuda: T.Hall (D.Adams, 57 mins), D.Thomas, S.Burgess, M.Wade, O.Steede (C.Smith, 63 mins), M.Hunt (K.Dill, 5 mins), C.Hill (R.Bean, 75 mins), S.Goater, K. Smith (J.Peniston, 67 mins), D.Ming, S.Astwood (R.Simons, 83 mins).

Nicaragua: D.Tellex, E.Vallecillo (A.Reyes, 64 mins), H.Quintanilla, E.Palacios, T.Avevedo (J.Vilhez, 78 mins), C.Alonso, D.Solrzano, E.Balladares (R.Calero, 45 mins), S.Alviles (W.Sanchez, 60 mins), S.Rodriguez, C.Novoa.

Men of the Match: D.Ming (Bermuda); E.Palacios (Nicaragua).

Referee: S.Crockwell.