This Is Guernsey

CAPTAIN Alex Le Prevost broke Jersey’s hearts in the Capita Junior Muratti at Springfield on Saturday with a stoppage-time winner. But it was his North teammate, Matt Loaring, who took the plaudits with a terrific hat-trick.

Before a crowd of 1,000, Jersey were left rueing the fact that they had twice let slip a one-goal lead as well as squandering two glorious scoring opportunities - Jack Boyle having a penalty kick saved and then the same player having an effort cleared off the line with the goal gaping.

They paid the price in a match that was a close affair throughout, the hosts having slightly the better of the play in the first half with Guernsey edging the second.

Loaring scored his first to push the Sarnians in front, only for Michael Weir to make it 1-1 in only the fifth minute.

Boyle then had his penalty kick saved by late Guernsey replacement goalkeeper William Woodford.

Young Boyle shot Jersey ahead a minute before the break only for Guernsey to equalise minutes after the resumption through Loaring again.

After Boyle had had his gilt-edged chance cleared off the line by Jamie Dodd, Jersey went ahead for the second time, in the 81st minute, when defender Luke Campbell powered the ball home inside a post after substitute Sam de la Haye’s effort had been blocked.

Minutes later Loaring levelled the score with a fantastic strike before Le Prevost scored the winner direct from a 25-yard free kick which Jersey had needlessly conceded.

Skipper Le Prevost called it ‘a proud day for the team and myself’.

‘We’ve come from behind with good second-half performances in a lot of games this season and it’s happened again today,’ he said.

‘I knew I had to get my shot on target and on that slippery surface I felt it would be difficult for the goalkeeper to save. It was a sweet strike and thankfully it was low and hard right into the bottom corner.’

Hat-trick hero Loaring, who won the Nino Orengo Memorial Trophy for player of the match, said: ‘I’m delighted with my first and third goals. It’s some time since I’ve scored a couple of goals as good as them and to get them in a Muratti is very pleasing.

‘It was a battle. We were always in it and I always felt we had a chance of winning.’

Jersey skipper Pierce Cummins said: ‘We’re all gutted: the dressing room is very quiet.

‘We’ve been punished hard for some silly free kicks again and failing to put away our chances. First half we were the better team but Guernsey dominated the midfield after the break.’

Guernsey manager Paul Ockleford, who suffered a late defeat in the same fixture last year, said: ‘It’s pleasing to win and I know how the Jersey players and coaches are feeling as it happened to us last year.

‘It was a good game on a wet pitch and I’m really happy for my players and the supporters. Our work on the training ground has paid off today as we work on free kicks and corners and we scored two goals from set pieces.

‘We were a lot of players short too because of injuries and those who have come in have been tremendous. I always felt we could get a result: yes, it was a bit of a yo-yo match but in the back of my mind I had the belief.

‘We put an extra man in midfield in the second half and it worked for us.’

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The game, which started 30 minutes late as a result of Guernsey being delayed in their travel to the island, burst to life with Loaring opening his account in the fourth minute.

Chasing Miles Pengelley’s long ball up the right, he lifted it over Cummins’s sliding challenge before chipping Greg Forster in Jersey’s goal from just inside the corner of the penalty area.

It was a super strike but cancelled out within a minute with a 30-yard effort, again from the right, by Weir, who controlled the ball well before rifling it goalwards with Woodford only helping it into the net to his left.

Great wing play by Jason De Andrade resulted in him cutting back inside and a cross to Marcus Carlow on a far post was nodded clear by Pengelley.

Carlow then won a penalty after Jamie Tolcher’s late challenge but the latter’s error was soon forgotten as Woodford dropped to his left with a comfortable save from Boyle’s lowly driven spot kick. Campbell, who was excellent in the air, got the underside of a boot to the ball to deflect it back to Forster to prevent Guernsey going ahead for a second time.

De Andrade brought a fine save out of Woodford on his left-hand upright before Boyle fired Jersey 2-1 up in the last minute of the half. He controlled the ball beautifully on his chest and after side-stepping a couple of challenges, he unleashed a shot from 23 yards which skidded off the surface and Woodford could not prevent it going in.

Forster kept Jersey in front by touching over a stinging, rising shot from Glyn Dyer, but five minutes after the break Guernsey made it 2-2.

Tom Strawbridge nodded back across goal Dyer’s corner kick and Loaring headed home his and Guernsey’s second goal from a couple of yards.

Then Loaring forced Forster into a fine parried save while at the other end Dodd scrambled the ball to safety from Boyle’s aforementioned effort.

Guernsey were now getting to grips with the midfield and they were forever dangerous on the wings through Loaring, who had an excellent tussle throughout with the tireless Danny Flynn.

Campbell restored Jersey’s lead with his strike but with five minutes remaining, the hat-trick hero pulled the rabbit out of the hat with the goal of the game.

Cutting in from Guernsey’s left, he looked up and curled a right-foot beauty into the far top corner from all of 30 yards.

Jersey were now edgy and they were pushed deep into time added on with Le Prevost’s strike sending the large Guernsey travelling contingent into wild celebrations.

Article posted on 2nd April, 2007 - 12.00am