sent off after just nine minutes of yesterday's World Cup tie.

But hat-trick hero Shaun Goater felt his team-mate had been unlucky to get a red card.

Jennings swore at referee Cavdel McNab, who instantly waved the player back to the dressing room.

"That's the sort of thing players get away with every week in Bermuda but our players have got to learn you can't do it in international soccer,'' said Best.

"To be honest, I thought it was a bit of a harsh red card to give, but everyone heard what Kentoine said and the referee can send him off by the laws of the game.'' Even after seeing his side reduced to 10 men, Best never doubted Bermuda would come away from the AO Shirley Recreation Ground victorious.

"The biggest worry about this game for us was not knowing anything about the BVI team,'' said Best. "But once I'd seen them play for 10 minutes, we were confident.'' Goater felt Jennings would not have been dismissed by most referees.

"I feel for Kentoine,'' said the Manchester City striker. "That type of sending off would never happen in England. He was just unfortunate that the referee was not letting anything go.'' Despite having netted three goals, Goater was disappointed with his performance and the team's.

"When you look at the opposition, we should have done much better,'' said Goater.

"It was a good result but not a good performance. For some periods of the game, I got sucked into it and my performance dropped.

"I am disappointed with myself for not being a leader to set an example to the team in terms of `do as I do'.

"But in the end a good result was the most important thing.'' Asked if he thought he would be spared from selection for the second leg on March 19 when his club play Charlton in a First Division promotion clash, Goater said: "I should think so.

"When you consider how easily we beat them with 10 men, we should beat them again convincingly at home.

"We should use that match to improve drastically on our passing and how we keep the ball, because I don't think we're ready for better opposition yet.'' Goater was reluctant to talk about how he scored his first goal, the best of the match, when he lobbbed the ball over a defender's head and then did the same to the goalkeeper. "I enjoyed that goal, purely because it was the third goal for the team and a very important one,'' he said.

Team coach Robert Calderon was delighted to take home such a convincing victory after losing a man so early.

"As a team, we showed a lot of character, and although it was not a great game, we did what was necessary to win -- and win well.

"We would have to do extremely badly in the second leg not to advance now.

"It was a good game for Meshach and David, who need to play outdoors more often for their fitness. Shaun and Kyle played well and it took our players a while to realise how quickly those two win the ball. All we had to do was get the ball to them.'' Calderon said the odds were on Lightbourne and Goater not being called up for the home leg.

"It is a decision which has to be made with the BFA executive. But with a four-goal cushion and five away goals, it is probably in our best interests to release them and maintain good relations with their clubs.'' Lightbourne went off injured in the 70th minute to be replaced by 18-year-old PHC striker Stephen Astwood, who made a winning World Cup debut.

"Kyle just got a bit of a kick on the ankle,'' explained Calderon. "It's the sort of injury which will go away when we have a little celebration later, I suspect.'' David Bascome, who was outstanding in midfield, in his first appearance for Bermuda in nearly two years, said: "It was a good win, playing most of the game with 10 men. The team showed they've got character. We came to do a job and the positive thing is we got a great result -- but we have a long way to go.'' Under siege: Bermuda's Paul Cann (left), who netted one of his team's five goals, puts the BVI defence under pressure in yesterday's World Cup first round, first leg qualifying match.