HAMILTON, Bermuda– National coach Kyle Lightbourne has not ruled out Bermuda’s hopes of CONCACAF Nations League promotion and Gold Cup qualification but says they must beat Montserrat in the Dominican Republic on Saturday after “huffing and puffing” their way to defeat against Guyana.
Reflecting on Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat in Group B in Guyana, Lightbourne lamented his side’s lackluster defending in the first half and inability to control proceedings for a sustained period throughout the match.
“We’re all disappointed with the result; it’s no secret to say we’ve played better,” he told the Royal Gazette newspaper.
“I was mostly disappointed with the first half. We didn’t play well at all, and although we caused them some problems on the break, we never really hurt them. We started far too slowly and were fortunate not to fall further behind.
“In the second half, we changed the shape to try to get back into the game, but unfortunately, it became too stop-start, and we couldn’t build any momentum.
“We huffed and puffed, but unfortunately, we weren’t good enough in front of goal and were punished by two sloppy goals.”
He said victory against Montserrat, who have lost both matches so far, was a must to maintain hope of fulfilling their ambitions.
“There are plenty of games left and points to play for,” said Lightbourne, whose side faces Montserrat again in the reverse fixture at the Flora Duffy Stadium next Tuesday to complete this international window.
“We have back-to-back games against Montserrat, so if we win both, we’ll be on seven points and, hopefully, right back in the mix. It’s not over yet, but we must ensure we take care of our results first and foremost, starting on Saturday.
“Haiti and Guyana have to play each other next, which could be a crucial game for the group’s outlook. In my opinion, the top spot is not gone at all, and if we can get a couple of victories, we are right back in it.
“However, we can’t worry about that because we must take care of our results first. Matches are coming thick and fast, and we must prepare to ensure we get maximum points out of the next game.”
Bermuda opened their campaign with a 0-0 draw home to Haiti, while Montserrat lost 2-1 to Guyana and 3-2 to Haiti.
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