recent tournament in Barbados.

But in the end, the side, playing their first international hockey since the last CAC Games, had to be content with fourth place in the five-nation competition.

Leading Puerto Rico 4-3 thanks to a Simon Van De Weg hat-trick and Stephen Moreton's goal they conceded a short corner with only seconds remaining.

Although the buzzer signalled the end of the game, rules allowed for the corner to be taken and their opponents cracked in a last-ditch equaliser.

Disappointing though the result was, the team were not downhearted, said manager Eva Darrell.

"We came off after that game feeling as though we had won,'' she said.

Things had got off to an inauspicious start with a 10-0 trouncing by eventual winners Trinidad in the first game. And factors off the field did not help.

"A lot of things were against us,'' explained Darrell. "When we got there the pitch had not been watered for two days. We were due to play at 6.30 p.m.

and didn't start until eight o'clock. "We were geared up to play but not getting on. It takes away from the spirit you've built up if you have to sit around and wait.

"I think if we had the chance to play again it would not be that score.'' Matters improved somewhat as the team slipped to a 3-0 defeat to the hosts in the second game.

"The Barbados press, who were not impressed with our first game, were coming up to us and saying: `What happened, did you fly in a new team?''' said Darrell.

A 3-0 win against Venezuela followed, with Moreton, Kirk Edmunds and Devonshire Colts soccer star Mark Ray getting on the scoresheet, before the draw against Puerto Rico.

Officials in Barbados were particularly impressed with the performances of goalkeeper Kevin Hill, Jason Dennis in defence and midfielder Stephen Troake, Darrell said. She rated the tournament, a warm-up for the CAC Games in August, a worthwhile one.

"We weren't 100 per cent happy with the way things went,', she admitted, "But we played very well and adjusted very quickly to the astro-turf pitch.

Before we went our only training had been in a gym and only a few of the veterans had had experience on that sort of surface.

"And eight of the squad of 15 had not represented Bermuda before.'' Darrell said the team will atempt to fit more matches before the CAC Games.