Mixed Fortunes for Bermudian Stars Across English Circuit
Coolridge Fubler
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s overseas contingent experienced a weekend of high drama and contrasting results as league campaigns reached a critical juncture across the English football pyramid.
Willie Clemons enjoyed an afternoon to remember at Flannery Stadium as his Leiston FC side secured a vital 1-0 victory over Banbury United. In a tightly contested Southern League Premier Central clash, Leiston demonstrated defensive resilience to claim all three points and maintain their mid-table momentum.
There was similar joy on the road for Kane Crichlow, whose Chelmsford City FC side produced a professional display to edge past Chippenham Town. Playing at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium, the Clarets secured a narrow 1-0 win in the National League South, with Crichlow providing his trademark energy to help his side navigate a testing away fixture.
The most dramatic comeback of the day belonged to Ajani Burchall and Wimborne Town. Facing a daunting two-goal deficit at the Honeycroft grounds, Wimborne showed remarkable character to turn the match on its head and defeat Uxbridge. The victory keeps their promotion aspirations alive following a spirited second-half revival.
However, it was a more somber afternoon for Keziah Martin and Justin Donawa at Edgar Street. Martin faced a reunion with his former employers, Buxton FC, but there was to be no fairytale result as Hereford FC succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in the National League North. The result leaves Hereford looking for a quick response as they aim to consolidate their position in the play-off hunt.
Milan Butterfield also tasted defeat as Halesowen Town fell 2-1 to Real Bedford at the Ledger Stadium, while Coolridge Fubler’s Binfield FC suffered a narrow 1-0 loss on the road at Harrow Borough in the Isthmian League. Elsewhere, the Bermudian pair of Aunde Todd and Brighton Morrison were on the wrong side of a clinical 3-0 scoreline as Badshot Lea struggled against Tooting and Mitcham United.
In the afternoon's stalemate fixtures, Ayleal Dill and Southwell City played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with South Normanton Athletic. Zhani Burgess experienced an identical scoreline with Quorn FC, as they shared the spoils with Stratford Town in an end-to-end Southern League encounter at the Arden Garages Stadium.
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Bascome’s Blast blow away Stars & Smith’s Rhode Island Fall
IslandStats.com
David Bascome’s Baltimore Blast concluded their Major Arena Soccer League regular season in emphatic fashion, dismantling the Tacoma Stars 14-8 at the SECU Arena to move to the top of the table.
In a high-octane encounter in the "Charm City," the Blast overcame an early scare to dominate a clinical opening half. Tacoma’s Cale Spence opened the scoring within 30 seconds, but Baltimore responded with a relentless six-goal barrage in the first quarter. Juan Pereira and Jonatas Melo were the architects of the turnaround, each finding the net twice as the Blast asserted their authority on the fast-paced indoor turf.
The momentum continued into the second period, with Oumar Sylla and Chad Poarch extending the lead to 8-3. Despite a spirited third-quarter rally from the Stars—led by Nani Mendoza and Cristian Fernandes—Baltimore’s offensive depth proved too much. Patrick Thompson and Melo combined to keep the visitors at arm's length before late strikes from Marco Nascimento and Adauto Neto completed the 14-goal rout.
While the victory momentarily places the Blast at the top of the MASL standings, the squad now faces a nervous wait. With several divisional rivals set to play their final fixtures tomorrow, the definitive post-season seeding remains up in the air as Bascome’s men aim for a favorable path in the Ron Newman Cup playoffs.
It was a more somber evening for Khano Smith’s Rhode Island FC, who suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat on the road against Miami FC.
In a testing USL Championship clash at Pitbull Stadium, the home side took control in the first half through Arney Rocha’s 22nd-minute strike. The deficit was doubled shortly after the interval when Mathieu Ndongo finished a clinical Miami counter-attack to put the hosts 2-0 up.
Rhode Island found a lifeline in the 65th minute when Dwayne Atkinson pulled one back, sparking a frantic final period. However, the visitors' hopes of a comeback were effectively ended in the 80th minute when Hugo Bacharach was shown a straight red card. Despite a late push with ten men, Smith’s side were unable to find an equalizer, leaving them to reflect on a missed opportunity to climb the Eastern Conference standings.
Friday, March 27, 2026
Majors Eyes Breakthrough at Concacaf Talent Showcase
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Bermuda FIFA official Amaury Majors is among an elite group of officials selected for the 2026 Concacaf Refereeing Talent and Mentor Program, currently undergoing a rigorous introductory course in Florida.
The program is taking place at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, held in conjunction with the Generation Adidas Cup. Majors is one of only ten referees chosen for this cycle, which is specifically designed to accelerate the growth of the confederation's most promising officials and enhance their performance levels across both domestic and international stages.
The core objective of the initiative is to provide intensive, one-on-one coaching and support. Under the structure of the program, dedicated mentors are assigned to closely track the progress of each referee as they navigate high-stakes domestic and international competitions.
Majors is currently being put through his paces on the pitch at the Generation Adidas Cup, where mentors are evaluating his decision-making, fitness, and game management in a live tournament environment. The evaluation serves as a critical benchmark for the young official as he aims to follow the pathway toward becoming a staple of the Concacaf elite refereeing panel.
With the eyes of the confederation’s top assessors on the sidelines at IMG Academy, the stint in Bradenton represents a significant milestone for Majors and a major boost for the development of officiating in Bermuda.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Colts Eye Second Spot as Paget Clash Finally gets Green Light
IslandStats.com
The Bermuda Football Association’s Competitions Committee has finally rescheduled a high-stakes Premier Division encounter four months after it was originally abandoned, with Devonshire Colts set to face Paget Lions this Sunday.
The match, which was called off on November 25th last year, has been handed a new date of March 29th at White Hill Field. With a 3:00 pm kickoff confirmed, the fixture carries significant implications for the top of the table as the season reaches its dramatic conclusion.
Third-placed Devonshire Colts head into the contest knowing that a victory would catapult them into second place. A win would move them onto 38 points, leaving them just two points adrift of league leaders Dandy Town Hornets with only one match remaining in the campaign. Even a draw would be enough to see the Colts leapfrog the PHC Zebras into second spot by virtue of a superior goal difference.
For the Paget Lions, the stakes are more about pride and mid-table positioning. A victory for the Lions would see them remain in eighth place, but crucially, it would pull them to within a single point of seventh-placed St. George’s Colts.
With both sides desperate for points for very different reasons, the atmospheric White Hill Field is expected to host a tense affair as the Premier Division's long-standing scheduling backlog finally begins to clear.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Nesbeth's Stars stunned as Thompson prepares for Showpiece
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Bermudian international Leilanni Nesbeth was an unused substitute as her Chicago Stars FC side suffered a clinical 3-0 defeat at the hands of a rampant Orlando Pride.
The visitors produced a devastating first-half display to take the game away from the Stars, with goals from Barbra Banda, Jacqueline Ovalle, and Hannah Anderson securing the points before the interval. Despite the scoreline, Chicago did create openings of their own. Ryan Gareis looked a persistent threat on the left wing, latching onto a service from midfield and outrunning her marker, but her ambitious effort from distance sailed over the crossbar.
While the Stars found multiple promising sights of goal, they lacked the final touch to breach the Orlando defence. The result leaves the Chicago outfit looking for a quick response in their next fixture as they navigate the early stages of the NWSL campaign.
Meanwhile, attention shifts to the English capital this Saturday as another Bermudian star, Kenni Thompson, prepares for one of the biggest matches in her club's history. Thompson and her AFC Bournemouth Women teammates travel to London to face Plymouth Argyle in the highly anticipated final of the FA Women's National League Cup.
The showpiece event at QPR’s MATRADE Loftus Road represents a significant milestone for the Cherries. Following a historic campaign that included a deep run to the fourth round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup, the Dorset side is now just ninety minutes away from lifting their first-ever National League Cup trophy.
Thompson has been a pivotal figure in the Bournemouth attack throughout this cup run. The winger was instrumental in the 2-0 semi-final triumph over West Bromwich Albion and previously demonstrated her composure by converting the decisive penalty in a narrow 1-0 victory over QPR. With the eyes of the National League on Loftus Road, Thompson will be hoping to lead the Cherries to a maiden title.
