This Is Guernsey

By Rob Batiste

Guernsey 0, Jersey 0. After extra-time, Jersey win

7-6 on penalties

IT IS always a cruel way to lose a match. For the first time in the 102-year history of the Muratti, a result was guaranteed on the day with extra time and penalties to be used to decide the winner if the scores were level.

Replays are no more.

And so it was in front of more than 2,000 fans at Foote’s Lane penalties were required when the score was still goal-less after 120 minutes of humdrum play.

With both teams on six penalties each in sudden death, it was Jersey’s right midfielder Chris Andrews who held his nerve to hit the winner after Leighton Chainey had hit the bar with his chance.

It was harsh on the Bels captain who was solid at the centre of Guernsey’s defence all game. Chainey was near enough inconsolable after his penalty effort rattled the crossbar.

‘I’m gutted. We had a practise last night and I did the same thing and it went in top bin,’ he said.

‘You can’t change your mind about what you’re going to do. I’ll bounce back from it but I feel gutted for the boys.’

In an uninspiring first half, Jersey had the opening chance of the match when their big midfielder Russell Le Feuvre had a shot from 35 yards out that just flew over the bar. The Grouville player had an impressive debut for Jersey in the middle of the park.

Ross Crick then almost scored for the visitors when the Jersey Scottish striker executed a lovely turn and shot but Guernsey keeper Jody Bisson was on hand to tip it around the post.

The greens responded a couple of minutes later as Ross Allen, making his Muratti final debut, had an effort from the edge of the box that just went wide.

However it was Jersey who had the best chance of the first half when Le Feuvre with 10 minutes to the break rose at a free kick and got to the ball with his head before the onrushing Bisson. But his header just sailed over the empty goal.

A minute before the interval Bisson’s opposite number Jimmy Styles made an error of his own when he dropped a high ball but Allen could not convert his tight chance.

The second half refused to come to life until past the hour mark when Jersey captain Brodie hit the outside post with a low 25-yard strike.

As a result the match stepped up a notch and 15 minutes later Guernsey had a golden opportunity but were denied by Styles with a double save off the line, first from Dom Heaume and then substitute Ryan Tippett.

This turned out to be the last clear-cut chance before the whistle was blown to end normal time.

If Guernsey should have scored from that opportunity then Crick really should have found the back of the net in three minutes into extra time. The Jersey Scottish attacker beat the offside trap but he got too clever as he tried to chip Bisson, but only succeeded in hitting the ball straight at the keeper.

For the first time in the match, Guernsey started to look the more dominant as Heaume’s header beat an outrushing Styles but James Scott was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

But in the second half of extra time Jersey came back into it.

The reds’ midfielder Peter Vincenti pulled off a delightful little header from close in, but Bisson matched this with a deft one-handed save. Vincenti then had arguably the best opportunity of the match when Craig Leitch set him up close in, but he somehow hit it wide.

With both teams struggling to find the back of the net it was clear that penalties were going to be needed to decide the outcome as referee Ray Olivier blew for the end of extra time.

Up stepped Ollie McKenzie to take the first one for Guernsey that was duly saved by Styles to his left.

Leitch struck home Jersey’s first as Tippett replied with a goal for Guernsey which was matched by Jersey’s Jack Cannon.

Allen got the second for Guernsey before Scott missed to make the score two all.

With all the following penalty takers scoring to take the score up to 5-5, sudden death was required.

Sam Cochrane converted the greens’ first that was then cancelled out by Stuart Andre.

Next up was Chainey who struck his shot cleanly but too well as it slammed against the bar. With the all pressure on Andrews, the winger did not buckle as he placed it in the bottom corner to ensure that Jersey held onto their Muratti crown.

Andrews had missed a penalty in Jersey’s Centenary Muratti defeat two years ago.

‘I was nervous, especially after a couple of years ago,’ said Andrews.

‘I just thought pick a spot and hit the target. Overall I thought we deserved to win.

‘We had a lot more of the ball and our defence was brilliant. Guernsey battled well but overall we deserved it.’

Article posted on 7th May, 2007 - 12.00am