Robinson Hails Bermuda’s Golden Group
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Five games, five wins, five clean sheets and one gold medal. It has been a NatWest International Island Games to remember for the Bermuda women’s team in Guernsey.
They defeated the Western Isles 4-0 in the final at the Corbet Field today [July 14] thanks to an inspired performance by talismanic forward LeiLanni Nesbeth and the entire team.
Nesbeth scored two goals and created the others, with the Western Isles defence struggling to contain her pace, power and clever movement.
She opened the scoring in the 25th minute, her glancing header from Akeyla Furbert’s inviting right-wing cross nestling into the bottom corner.
Nesbeth, who fittingly carried the island’s flag at the closing ceremony tonight, struck again in the 48th minute when she raced through on goal before calmly slotting past Chloe Nelson, the Western Isles goalkeeper.
The 21-year-old unselfishly turned provider on the half-hour mark, setting up the lively Furbert for a goal and in the 85th minute, drove into the box before squaring for substitute Jya Ratteray-Smith to complete the rout.
Coach Naquita Robinson, who led the Bermuda women’s team to gold at the Island Games on home soil in 2013, said the Class of ’23 is the best squad she has worked with at the national team helm.
“I’m very proud of these girls,” Robinson told Bernews. “They’ve put in a lot of work and ensured we achieved our goal. We had to dig deep again.”
Robinson hailed Nesbeth’s deadly finishing and ability to bring out the best in her talented teammates.
“LeiLanni is a special talent,” she said. “What I love about her is her willingness to lift her teammates, encourage them, and they rise to the challenge.”
She added: “I told the players before we left Bermuda that this is the best team I’ve ever coached. It doesn’t matter who starts, who comes off the bench; we don’t lose our rhythm.”
Za’Khari Turner, the Bermuda goalkeeper, did not concede a goal in more than 450 minutes of competitive action and said the gold medal winners were “one team with one dream.”
She told Bernews: “It was a great performance by the girls, and we fought until the end. I’m just glad we got the result.
“The defence was solid. They protected me, and I protected them.”
