The evening brought mixed fortunes and high drama for Bermuda’s overseas football players, with Luton Town winning in the Championship, Reggie Lambe’s team snatching a crucial last-gasp winner, and a non-league fixture being abandoned due to a medical emergency.
Luton Town secured a vital 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road over Huddersfield Town, but striker Nahki Wells missed the fixture due to injury. The match carried extra significance as Wells was facing his former club, where he scored 48 goals in 152 outings between 2014 and 2017. Wells initially joined Huddersfield on loan from Bristol City before a permanent transfer worth around £1.6 million, later moving to Burnley for £5 million in 2017.
Reggie Lambe and his Needham Market FC teammates secured victory in their Southern League Premier Central clash against Bishop’s Stortford at the Woodside Park Ground. With the match poised for a draw, Lambe’s side secured a thrilling 2-1 victory thanks to a stoppage-time winner. Needham Market is currently fifth in the league standings.
Willie Clemons also celebrated a win as his Leiston FC teammates travelled to Quattro Tech Grounds and came away with a comfortable 3-1 victory over St Ives Town FC in their Southern League 1 Central Premier Division battle. Leiston is currently seventh in the Southern League Premier Central standings.
Justin Donawa and his Brackley Town teammates secured a 2-1 victory over Burnley FC Under 21 in their National League Cup tie at St James Park, ensuring their progress in the competition.
Kane Crichlow put his injury-hit season behind him to help spearhead Sutton United to a dominant 4-1 victory over Southampton FC Under 21’s in the National League Cup. With the score level at 1-1 in the 51st minute, Crichlow drilled a low effort that was saved. Crucially, in stoppage time, with the score at 3-1, Crichlow had a shot well saved, with Mo Dabre tapping home the rebound for his first goal for the club.
A scheduled match between Dale Eve's Stratford Town FC and Milan Butterfield's Halesowen Town FC at the Arden Garages Stadium was abandoned. Stratford was leading 1-0 at half-time when the match was suspended after a member of the crowd required treatment for a medical emergency. Following the delay, both teams and officials agreed to abandon the game. Stratford Town FC and Halesowen Town FC are both in the Southern League Premier Central Division.
Bermuda’s Walking Football team opened their tour in the UK taking on a Liverpool team.
They played three 10 minute matches, Bermuda went down 5 - 1 in the first match, before falling 1 - 0 in the other two matches.
Curly Joe Wilson described a challenging day for the Bermuda Walking Football team. He highlighted that the team they played, who were described as being composed of "ex-professional" Liverpool players, did not adhere to the expected rules, as they engaged in a lot of running instead of walking. This made it very difficult for the Bermudian team to adjust, as they were only training as a walking football squad. The opponents were well-drilled and continuously moved, reflecting their background of playing professional football.
Despite the challenges posed by the opponents' running, Wilson noted that the opponents played a "really good game," even if it wasn't walking football. He also mentioned unusual field conditions, specifically noting that the goalkeeper's area lacked a protected box, which was different from what the team was used to. However, he remained positive, sending a message of encouragement to his players for their efforts under difficult conditions and looked ahead to their next game.
