Trott Expected to Miss Boxing Day Clash with Hand Injury
IslandStats.com
Cardiff City goalkeeper Nathan Trott is expected to miss his second consecutive match as the League One leaders prepare for their Boxing Day encounter against Exeter City.
The Bermudian, who has been a mainstay in the Bluebirds' promotion charge this season, remains sidelined with a hand injury sustained during last week’s Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat against Chelsea.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Cardiff City Head Coach Brian Barry-Murphy confirmed that the 27-year-old has yet to return to full training.
"Nathan Trott hasn’t trained yet," Barry-Murphy said. "He is still nursing a hand injury suffered in the match against Chelsea. He damaged his hand in a challenge during the second half of that game and as such, he wasn't available for last weekend's trip to Lincoln".
Trott’s absence was felt on Saturday as Cardiff suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Lincoln City, bringing an end to their five-match winning streak. Despite the setback, the Welsh club remains at the summit of League One, holding a three-point lead over second-placed Lincoln with a game in hand.
Matt Turner is likely to continue in goal for the Boxing Day fixture at the Cardiff City Stadium, where a crowd of over 30,000 is expected for the visit of the Grecians.
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell has acknowledged the challenge of facing the league leaders, noting that while his side won their previous meeting in the Vertu Trophy, Cardiff will present a "totally different" and more formidable test this Friday.
Monday, December 22, 2025
BFA Hold Shield & Friendship Semi-Final Draw
IslandStats.com
The lineup for the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) Shield and Friendship Trophy semi-finals has been officially finalized following a dramatic weekend of quarter-final action across the island.
Chairman of competitions Shannon Burgess conducted the high-stakes draw this morning inside the Clyde Best Centre of Excellence Boardroom, setting the stage for a blockbuster series of matches over the festive period.
The Friendship Trophy semi-final draw features four of the Premier Division’s most consistent performers, promising a "heavyweight collision" in the final four. Defending champions Dandy Town Hornets remain on track to retain their title after a convincing 3-0 victory over the Boulevard Blazers. They are joined in the hat by: North Village Rams, who secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over the St. George’s Colts. Devonshire Cougars, who overcame an early deficit to defeat Young Men’s Social Club 4-2. Devonshire Colts, who progressed after a remarkable comeback from two goals down to sink X-Road’s Warriors 4-2 in the final match of the weekend.
In the Shield competition, a quartet of First Division promotion hopefuls will battle for a spot in the New Year's Day final. The semi-finalists include Somerset Trojans, who secured their spot with a clinical 4-0 shutout of St. David’s.
They are joined by fellow West End side Somerset Eagles, who edged out Southampton Rangers 1-0 in a tense encounter. Rounding out the final four are Robin Hood, fresh from an 11-0 demolition of Vasco, and Wolves, who received a quarter-final bye.
December 26th @ Somerset Cricket Club
Shield @ 12 noon
Somerset Eagles vs Wolves
Friendship @ 2:00 pm
Dandy Town Hornets vs Devonshire Cougars
December 27th @ PHC Stadium
Shield @ 7 pm
Somerset Trojans vs Robin Hood
Friendship @ 9 pm
North Village Rams vs Devonshire Colts
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Devonshire Colts Stage Dramatic Comeback to Sink X-Road’s
IslandStats.com
X-Road’s 2 Devonshire Colts 4
The Devonshire Colts have secured their place in the Friendship Trophy Semi-Finals after staging a remarkable second-half fightback to defeat X-Road’s Warriors 4-2 at Lord’s in St. David’s.
Trailing by two goals in the first half, the Colts showcased the resilience that has kept them in the Premier Division title hunt this season, scoring four unanswered goals to complete the turnaround.
In a high-octane opening period, it was X-Road’s who appeared destined for the final four. Veteran forward Paul Simons—continuing his recent goal-scoring form—gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute. Simons, who has been battling through injury in recent weeks, doubled the advantage in the 36th minute with a clinical finish to put the Warriors firmly in the driving seat.
However, the Colts found a crucial lifeline just before the interval. Mateo Issace struck in the 40th minute to reduce the deficit, ensuring X-Road’s took a slender 2-1 lead into the break and shifting the momentum back toward the visitors.
Devonshire emerged for the second half with renewed intensity and drew level in the 55th minute when captain Jorj Dublin converted from the penalty spot. With the scores level at 2-2, the Colts wasted no time in seizing the lead; just three minutes later, Chemari Henry found the back of the net to make it 3-2.
As X-Road’s pushed forward in search of an equalizer, they were caught on the counter-attack. The comeback was completed in the 78th minute when Senoj Mitchell—fresh from his match-winning heroics against Young Men's Social Club last weekend—slotted home his team's fourth to seal the victory.
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Semi-Final Lineups Confirmed after High-Stakes Weekend
IslandStats.com
The lineup for the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) Shield and Friendship Trophy Semi-Finals has been officially finalized following a dramatic weekend of quarter-final action across the island.
Football fans now look toward the Clyde Best Centre of Excellence Board Room, where the Semi-Final draw is scheduled to take place on Monday, December 22nd, to determine the high-stakes matchups for the festive period.
In the Shield competition, the Somerset Trojans secured their spot in the hat with a clinical 4-0 shutout of St. David’s at the Devonshire Recreation Club. They are joined by fellow West Enders Somerset Eagles, who edged out Southampton Rangers 1-0 in a tense encounter at White Hill Field. Rounding out the Shield semi-finalists are Robin Hood, who produced the most lopsided result of the weekend with an 11-0 demolition of Vasco at Bernard Park, and Wolves, who received a quarter-final bye.
The Friendship Trophy semi-final draw features four of the Premier Division’s most consistent performers, setting the stage for a heavyweight collision. Defending champions Dandy Town Hornets remain on track to retain their title after a convincing 3-0 victory over the Boulevard Blazers.
They will be joined in the draw by the North Village Rams, who secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over the St. George’s Colts, and the Devonshire Cougars, who overcame an early deficit to defeat Young Men’s Social Club 4-2.
The final spot was claimed by the Devonshire Colts, who progressed after coming from two goals down to sink X-Road’s Warriors 4-2 in the final match of the weekend at Lord’s. These semi-final matches are traditionally held during the Boxing Day period, with the winners advancing to the hallmark New Year’s Day finals at the Somerset Cricket Club.
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Morrison & Benamocarra League Leaders at Festive Break
IslandStats.com
Bermudian defender Brighton Morrison and his Benamocarra FC teammates will head into the Christmas break at the summit of Spain’s Tercera Andaluza Málaga Senior Division.
The league leaders ensured they maintained their momentum with a clinical 4-0 victory over Cómpeta at the Campo Municipal de Cómpeta Stadium. The result further cements their position at the top of the table as they navigate a highly successful 2025/26 campaign.
Benamocarra’s rise to the top has been built on remarkable consistency throughout the first half of the season. The club has secured 11 victories from their opening 14 matches, suffering just a single defeat and recording two draws to accumulate a total of 35 points.
For Morrison, the success in Spain has coincided with a breakthrough on the international stage. The versatile defender, who can operate at both center-back and full-back, was recently drafted into the Bermuda Senior Men's National Squad for the November CONCACAF Qualifiers.
A former gold medalist at the Bermuda Island Games, Morrison has been identified as a developing prospect for the national team's long-term programming. His form in Spain, where he has helped Benamocarra maintain a robust defensive record, continues to justify his inclusion in Coach Findlay’s wider plans.
