BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Peter Byers scored a hat-trick as Antigua and Barbuda swamped the US Virgin Islands 8-1 to record the biggest win in the CONCACAF zone of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.

There were also wins for powerhouses Trinidad and Tobago who easily disposed of Barbados 2-1 in Bridgetown to record their second straight win, while Guyana also maintained their winning streak by beating Bermuda 2-1 in Georgetown.

St Kitts and Nevis picked up their first win when they beat St Lucia 4-2 in Castries and French Caribbean side Haiti joined them in winners' row with an identical triumph over Curaçao in Willemstad.

Playing away in Frederiksted, Antigua went ahead through Ranja Christian's 18th-minute strike before Byers added a second from the spot in the 38th minute to put the visitors 2-0 up at half-time.

Justin Cochrane sent Antigua 3-0 up two minutes after the interval before Jamie Browne answered for the USVI in the 49th minute. However, the 26-year-old Byers struck twice in the space of seven minutes, netting in the 51st and 57th to complete his hat-trick.

The LA Blues frontman is now the leading scorer in the competition with five goals from two matches.

George Dublin got on the scorecard in the 54th minute while Randolph Burton (68th, 74th) scored a double to put the icing on the cake for the Antiguans.

With the win, Antigua remained joint top of Group F with six points following their handsome 5-2 triumph last week at home against Curaçao.

Strong second-half effort

They are, however, level on points with Haiti who used a strong second-half effort to cut down Curaçao.

The French trailed 1-2 at the break but bounced back through James Marcelin in the 58th minute and Wilde Donald Guerrier three minutes later before getting help from an Angelo Zimmerman 75th-minute own goal.

Group B favourites T&T made little mistake against a lacklustre Barbados side as they had a comfortable stroll to three points.

Keon Daniel opened the scoring from close range in the 20th minute to cap off a spell of domination before Darryl Roberts scrambled home a 69th-minute effort to send Barbados to their second straight loss.

They are now bottom of the standings without a point after losing 2-0 to Guyana last week in Georgetown.

The Guyanese, meanwhile, continued their impressive run as they brushed aside Bermuda with a second-half double from Vurlon Mills (50th, 60th).

They are level with T&T on six points.

Bermuda's Khano Smith scored in injury time to rescue some pride for the visitors who are yet to register a point in the competition following their loss last week to Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain.

In Group D, St Kitts scored all their goals in the opening stanza as they battered St Lucia 4-2.

Ian Lake opened the scoring after just seven minutes before Jevon Francis added the second just five minutes later.

St Lucia had hardly recovered when Orlando Mitchum banged in the third in the 15th minute before Devaughn Elliott put the game to bed a minute before half-time.

Zaine Pierre and Cliff Valcin answered for St Lucia in the second half but the response was a little too late.