A much better all-round performance saw the Women’s team ultimately beaten but far from embarrassed and earning the respect of a large crowd as they fell 0-4 to host Nation Honduras
The World Cup Qualifier, played at the Estadio General Francisco Morazan, San Pedro Sula and in front of a one thousand strong partisan crowd began as a cat and mouse battle with the BVI girls displaying discipline and determination to reach half time at just a goal down to their much more experienced opposition.
An offside goal and some players suffering under the hot sun did see Honduras take more control in the second half, but whenever the defense was breached, Britney Peters was outstanding between the sticks and kept the BVI in the game deep into the second half.
The BVI was also posing lots of questions to the Honduran defenders and created some opportunities that if converted would have put an entirely different perspective on the final score
Coach Wayne Phillip was understandably upset to suffer defeat but was also proud of the team’s performance and confidant that going forward good things would come “I’m super impressed with them” he beamed “from the time we trained yesterday I felt different vibes and a positive attitude. Today the way they approached the game, they were very aggressive, tackling and very positive. We now know we have to work especially hard on things like fitness, but they stuck to it and I’m super proud”
Phillip also believes that continued work with the current crop of players will see them able to match more illustrious teams across the region “in the future we are going to be one of the stronger teams in the Caribbean,” he said
In a short time, frame, the BVI Women’s National team will be facing St Vincent and The Grenadines as well as Haiti, with those matches scheduled for early April 2022.