Bermuda 0 Canada 2 Bermuda were outclassed for 45 minutes by a strong Canada side bristling with professional experience at the National Stadium last night.

But with a defeat of embarrassing proportions looking likely, Bermuda came out fighting in the second half, enjoyed more of the possession and only the woodwork denied them a deserved goal.

In the end, two goals midway through the first half by Martin Nash of the English Division Three's bottom club Chester City settled the issue.

The best player on the pitch, by some distance, was Canadian midfielder Paul Stalteri, who plies his trade with Werder Bremen of Germany's Bundesliga.

Bermuda could not find a way to contain him in the first half and his incisive passing streched the home defence in every direction.

Stalteri almost opened the scoring in the seventh minute, when his 12-yard shot rattled against the post, before hitting goalkeeper Dwayne Adams on the back and rolling just wide.

Also a constant menace to Bermuda was Northampton Town's Carlo Corazzin and Adams had to produce a brilliant save to deny him in the 12th minute, diving to his left to tip wide Corazzin's fierce 22-yard free-kick.

Bermuda helped Canada to dominate by giving away possession too carelessly, and struggled to get into the game.

The home side's first whiff of a chance came in the 17th minute, when Ottis Steede freed Tokia Russell on the right and his cross broke for Meshach Wade, but the ball was cleared before he could get a shot in.

Canada took the lead with a soft goal in the 24th minute. A long clearance by goalkeeper Craig Forrest was headed on by Corazzin into the path of Nash, who scored with a first-time shot from 20 yards to net his first international goal.

Five minutes later, it was 2-0. Corazzin won possession in midfield, ran forward and fed the supporting Stalteri, who back-heeled the ball to set up Nash for his second, a sweetly struck low drive into the left-hand corner.

Nash almost completed a hat-trick just before the break, but his goalbound 18-yard thunderbolt cannoned away to safety off Shannon Burgess.

A Wade shot which drifted high over the bar and a deflected Steede effort which bobbled harmlessly to Forrest were the home side's only goalscoring attempts of the half.

The introduction of Rohaan Simons as a half-time substitute helped to inspire an improved display from Bermuda in the second half.

The Southampton Rangers striker, whose pace occasionally worried the Canadian defence, provided support for debutant Stephen Astwood who had been fighting a lone battle up front.

Bermuda's best spell started when Astwood latched onto Russell's deflected cross and hit a smart half-volley inches wide of the post.

Two minutes later Simons was brought down just outside the box and Wade hammered the resulting free-kick just too high.

But their best effort of the night came 19 minutes from the end, when Simons hassled Canada defender Carl Fletcher, eventually won the ball and whipped over a fine cross from the right which Steede headed powerfully against the crossbar.

Canada, who had drawn 0-0 with Trinidad at the weekend, ran out of steam in the second half, but never looked in danger of surrendering their lead.

Bermuda: D.Adams, K.Roberts, S.Burgess, C.Roberts, O.Steede, P.Cann (A.Rahman 63 min), T.Russell, M.Wade (D.Ming 85 min), S.Astwood, C.Ball (B.Bean 45 min), S.Lewis (R.Simons 45).

Canada: C.Forrest (L.Hirschfeld 73 min), P.Fenwick, C.Fletcher, J.De Vos (N.Pizzolito 85 min), R.Hastings, P.Stalteri, J.Bent (R.Aristodemo 43 mins), C.Corazzin, D.Xuasa, M.Nash, E.Thomas.

On the ball: Canada's Carl Fletcher cruises into overdrive as a Bermuda player scrambles over to challenge him at the National Stadium last night.