North 2, Grouville 1
A SPARKLING second half performance ensured that North got past Grouville on Saturday to progress to the semi-finals of the Deloitte Jeremie Cup. In Indian summer weather at Northfield, the home side went behind after 20 minutes but two goals from Simon Tostevin saw them through.
North ran the show after half-time and should have won by a cricket score.
‘I’m over the moon,’ said North coach Mick Le Prevost after the match.
‘The second half performance was absolute quality. I know these boys can play that type of football.
‘Again we had seven or eight chances but we scored two to win. It’s when we’re not creating chances, that’s when I’m worried.
‘Hopefully we can keep producing football we did today. Our second half performance was the best we have played all season.’
The Jersey team took the lead through a Liam Walshe curling free kick that squeezed in at the right post. Richard Davey, on his debut in goal for North, reacted late, perhaps thinking the ball was going wide.
Ten minutes later the chocolate-and-blues equal-ised through Tostevin when Dave Rihoy knocked the ball across the goal from a deep cross and the forward had a simple diving header past the out-of-position Carlos Rebelo.
North had a couple of more chances in the half, the best falling to Rihoy when he unleashed a stinging volley that was well saved by Rebelo.
Second half and North came to life to have chances galore.
Tostevin had a shot blocked by Grouville, North captain Darren Martin had a super run into the box for Rebelo to pull off another great save and Rihoy had an easy chance when the ball fell to him eight yards out that nine times out of 10 he would have put away.
North eventually took the lead just before the hour mark when Tostevin followed up Craig Young’s strike for a simple tap in.
There followed more wasted chances.
Rihoy jinxed his way into the box to be denied again by Rebelo.
At a corner, Alex Le Prevost had a header cleared off the line by a defender on the post, substitute Matt Dorrian struck a volley straight at the keeper and with five minutes left on the clock, Tostevin also hit a close range effort at Rebelo.
A glorious missed opportunity to get his hat trick was only bettered with a minute left on the clock, when he couldn’t quite get his head above a cross in front of an empty net.
Due to the number of stoppages, referee Geoff Ogier played nearly 10 minutes of added time, much to Le Prevost’s chagrin.
The North coach was clearly getting more anxious by the minute, worried that Grouville would score late just like they did earlier on in the season when they beat his side 1-0 in the Wheway Cup.
But Le Prevost’s pacing up and down in his technical area stopped when Ogier finally blew his whistle for full time.
‘I’m disappointed that we conceded two soft goals,’ said Grouville coach Ian Horswell. ‘But if you defend poorly that’s what happens.
‘North like to play direct, long ball football and we got dragged into their game.’
Article posted on 25th September, 2006 - 12.00am
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