FORGET ABOUT Feeding the Goat, this was an England C goal feast.
Bermuda legend and former Manchester City goal machine Shaun Goater, watching on from the stands, would no doubt have marvelled at the way Non-League‘s Three Lions turned on the style.
James Norwood, in particular, was in a gluttonous mood with a second-half hat-trick – the first since Mitchell Cole against the Republic of Ireland in 2007.
The Forest Green Rovers forward’s lethal finishing saw England out of sight after first-half strikes from Antoni Sarcevic and Marlon Jackson’s penalty.
And Andre Gray added a last-minute sixth to cap a fine evening in the Caribbean.
As the first England team to play against Bermuda, who were fielding a full international side, the hosts made a real fuss of Paul Fairclough‘s young lions.
They lived up to their billing with a display of real quality, playing the passing, inventive football Fairclough insists upon.
It didn’t take long to get the show up and running. When centre-back Fraser Franks laid the ball into Sarcevic, the Chester midfielder turned the ball around the corner to Marlon Jackson.
On the move already, Sarcevic made a run that carved a hole in the Bermuda defence and allowed Jackson to return a perfectly weighted first-time ball.
The exciting youngster did the rest, racing clear and curling the ball with the outside of his right boot into the far corner without breaking stride for a wonderful opener.
England had settled well into their surroundings. Marlon Jackson was showing great trickery to beat defenders, Franks had a low shot hacked off the line and the impressive Mickey Demetriou saw his cross bounce on the bar.
Before long the second arrived, Damon Ming’s lunge at Johnny Hunt leaving American referee Baldomero Toledo little choice but to give a penalty.
Marlon Jackson coolly sent keeper Stefan Dill the wrong way. The Hereford striker’s club-mate Sam Clucas then had a goal ruled out for offside after a quick interchange between Andy Cook and Demetriou as Bermuda struggled to contain their opposition.
England’s tactic of pressing hard anyone who entered their half was stifling Bermuda but they do have plenty of threat in their ranks.
Crawley Town striker Jonte Smith, who scored 27 goals on loan at Met Police and Eastbourne Borough last season, was making hisinternational debut and Toronto FC midfielder Reggie Lambe showed flashes of danger.
Whether no games since the end of April became a factor or not, England stopped dictating the tempo and the home crowd sensed a goal.
Captain Preston Edwards, making his sixth and likely last England C appearance, made a fantastic one-handed save high to his right from Lambe’s drive only for John Barry Nusum to leap and head in the rebound. Then, with the half-time whistle imminent, Smith’s free-kick flew over the bar as England stayed ahead.
Fairclough had guaranteed every player at least 45 minutes. On came Dover Athletic‘s Mitchell Walker in goal, Forest Green Rovers duo Norwood and Chris Stokes, Alfreton midfielder Dan Bradley and Luton’s experienced England C striker Gray.
Walker had an early handwarmer from Tyrell Burgess’ long range bullet while at the other end Norwood’s inventive chip from distance narrowly fell off target. Not that it took the former England schoolboy long to mark his C team debut.
Gray’s cross was measured to the inch, leaving Norwood to nod into the bottom corner.
By now, England were back in their stride. Sutton midfielder Harry Beautyman, one of four Conference South players on the pitch, was everywhere and rightback Ryan Jackson added real attacking threat.
Ilkeston trio Antwan Russell, Lejaun Simmons and Dante Leverock all came off the bench for the hosts but, by then, England were really in cruise control.
Welling United‘s Franks and his fellow Conference South winning defensive partner Anthony Acheampong were dominant and as the team popped the ball around the pitch, more goals always looked likely.
Gray narrowly missed the target when one-on-one before the fourth duly arrived.
Norwood showed real composure to nip and slot in his second with 20 minutes still left on the clock.
When Gray was bundled over in the box just as he was about to pull the trigger, Norwood had his treble chance. And he made no mistake with an emphatic finish past Dill right into the stanchion.
Beautyman rattled the post with a close range header and Dill denied Gray a certain goal after the Hatter seized on a weak back pass.
Not that he was to be denied the goal he craved, reacting instinctively to prod home a loose ball from another well worked setpiece. The hungry Lions went home well fed.
