Women 'confident' of gold after seeing off Hitra

A lopsided schedule makes Bermuda’s women footballers overwhelming favourites for Island Games gold after they dispatched Hitra 6-1 at the National Sports Centre on Monday night.

The win qualified the home team for the gold medal match on Thursday night and, crucially, gives them two days to prepare for the big match.

In contrast, Hitra play Greenland on Tuesday night in the final group game before the two teams play again in the semi-final on Wednesday before the winner then takes on Bermuda on Thursday night. If Hitra get through, for example, it will be their fourth game in four days.

Bermuda coach Naquita Robinson admits it puts her team in the driving seat.

She told the Bermuda Sun: “It gives us an advantage. At six (kick-off time) the sun is up and we’ll be coming off the back of a day’s rest and a day of light training and then the final. I’m very confident right now, and confident in the sense of how my players are playing.”

Hitra were brushed aside thanks to goals from Tschana Wade (2), Aaliyah Nolan, Cheyra Bell, Jessica Furtado and Rayni Maybury.

The win was achieved even with Robinson shuffling her pack with one eye on the final.

She said: “It was a very good performance from the team. Looking at the final, I made tactical changes at the beginning to preserve some legs and then the substitutes were strategic subs to bring players on who I felt needed a runout, who may or may not play in the final.

“And then we had a few injuries so I wanted to preserve those players for the final as well. We want to go into the final with our strongest team so I wanted to make sure they are fit and raring to go.”