Antigua & Barbuda 0 Bermuda 5

Bermuda head coach Naquita Robinson’s decision to change her team’s formation against Antigua & Barbuda resulted in a big win for her side in the Concacaf Women’s Qualifier in Kingston, Jamaica, last night.

Bermuda, who switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 3-5-2, got their goals through Akeyla Furbert, Nia Christopher, and second-half substitutes Deshae Darrell, with two, and Teyah Lindo.

“The idea behind three at the back was to look to have an attacking line,” Robinson said. “We knew we needed to get goals and our mark was to get six to erase our six-goal deficit. We fell one short, so we’re still at minus one.”

Robinson said that she was displeased with the performance in the 2-0 loss to Cuba, given how many chances were missed.

“In the Cuba game, we got into positions to score and didn’t,” she said. “Those individuals we relied on to score goals [Deshae Darrell and Teyah Lindo] actually came on and scored goals today. The team had to come together and say ‘Listen guys, we’re not stepping up. You did horribly, you did not do well enough and that’s why we’re in this position.”

Robinson said she spoke specifically to Darrell and Lindo about their attitudes during and after the Cuba game as well.

“We as the coaches had the conversation and said, ‘Guys, when we’re in practice, things are not working and you’re giggling, then it’s not funny when you’re in front of the crowd.’ That’s what we said to her [Darrell] and she was receptive to it. She came out and scored two goals. I also said, ‘Teyah, the reason we struggled in the Cuba game is because you decided that you weren’t going to work to win the ball back when you lost it. So when they won the ball off you, they were running at our defence. So having her sit on the side and listen to the comments made her realise ‘hey, it doesn’t look nice when you’re sitting over here, does it?” Robinson shared.

Robinson she said that had she not started what she describes as her “B Team”, perhaps the scoreline could have been higher. Bermuda opened the scoring in the fourteenth minute while Antigua and Barbuda were down to ten players after defender Britney Edwards was stretchered off injured.

Left winger Keunna Dill played a low ball inside the area and Furbert found space amid the confusion to tuck it under goalkeeper Claycia Edwards.

They doubled the score in the 44th minute when Nia Christopher, playing as the centre forward, was allowed too much space to control a long ball from right wing back K’Shaela Burch Waldron deep into the box. Christopher lobbed Edwards to get on the scoresheet.

In the 76th minute, Bermuda made it 3-0 after Furbert cut the ball back for Darrell to finish.

Five minutes later Furbert again linked up with Darrell, who was brought down by Samuel for a penalty. Darrell stepped up and thumped the ball home to get her second goal of the game. Lindo was then fouled on the edge of the box and placed her free kick low and hard under the wall to make it 5-0.

Bermuda face Trinidad & Tobago, who have six points and a plus-three goal difference, tomorrow in a must-win game. Trinidad lost to Jamaica 4-1 last night and Robinson said she is already working on tactics for that game.

“The formation can work but, I’m not so sure about three at the back,” she said. “It will need all our ‘A’ players on the field at that time.”

SCORERS

Bermuda: Furbert 14, Christopher 44, Darrell 76, 81 pen, Lindo 87

TEAMS

Antigua & Barbuda (4-3-3): C Edwards — K Warner, D Tittle (sub: A Whyte, 76min), B Humphreys, B Edwards (sub: L Samuel, 16) — N Stewart, S Ogarro (sub: J Lewis, 55), C Proctor, P Davis — D Simon-Ponte, J Browne. Substitutes not used: N Samuel, K Buckley, R Simon, D Wilson, J Hall, K Hughes. Booked: Proctor.

Bermuda (3-5-2): C Harvey — E Butterfield, V Davis, T Fubler — K Burch-Waldron, K Nanette (sub: D Darrell, 49), K Dill, K Brangman (sub: T Edwards, 73) — E Frazzoni, A Furbert, N Christopher (sub: T Lindo, 60). Substitutes not used: M Pond, M Christian, S Lowe Darrell, A Simons, D Place, J Stewart. Booked: Darrell.

Referee: T Guzman (Nicaragua).