port-of-spain, trinidad (cmc):

Haiti moved closer to the Digicel Caribbean Cup football final round with a solid 2-0 victory over Bermuda in their first-leg play-off match at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Eliphene Cadet struck an early goal and Lomero Roody sealed the game with a 72nd-minute strike to give the Haitians pole position for the eighth and final spot in the finals, starting this coming weekend.

The teams will meet again today with the winners on aggregate getting into the eight-team finals of the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament starting on Friday.

Cadet grabbed the lead for Haiti with a close range shot that beat the Bermuda goalkeeper in the ninth minute.

Haiti, who won their opening round Group D series in Jamaica but ended third in their next group - forcing them into these play-offs - stifled Bermuda's efforts to rally after the break and came up with fine goal 18 minutes from the end.

Roody made a penetrative run down the right flank, outpacing several defenders with a spectacular individual effort.

He cut inside and rounded the goalkeeper before slotting in a left- footed shot.

The series winners will join hosts Trinidad & Tobago, Martinique and Barbados in Group A of the final round that starts on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium with either Haiti or Bermuda facing Martinique, and eight-time Caribbean Cup champions Trinidad and Tobago tackling Barbados.

Cuba, Guadeloupe, Guyana and St. Vincent and the Grenadines comprise the other group.