This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

Andy Alford goes down in the D as the Caesarean combination of keeper Jason Weber and Matt Hutton try to clear the danger. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0748711)

Guernsey 2, Jersey 5
COMPLACENCY is a killer.

With Guernsey men’s hockey on a high having reached the semi-finals of the HA Trophy under the leadership of new player-coach Ben Allberry, they were expected to cruise past Jersey on Saturday.

After all, the Reds had been knocked out of the national HA in the quarter-finals.

Guernsey simply needed to turn up to win and that was the feeling among the large home support at Foote’s Lane and, perhaps, among the island team themselves given their performance.

Here, they were given a sharp reminder of the fact that no one in sport deserves a victory. You have to work for it.

‘Disappointing result. It was one of those games,’ said a clearly distraught Allberry afterwards.

‘We just didn’t get started and we didn’t play like we can. We always knew it was going to be a battle, but I think we underestimated them.

‘After the run we’ve been on, it’s a shame.’

Jersey let Guernsey know that it was not going to be a walk in the park when they took the lead after five minutes of play through a scrappy goal by Simon Hurry.

A minute later, the Greens had another indication that everything was not rosy, when they won a short corner.

It was all set up for an Allberry drag flick, their most potent weapon, but they proceeded totally to fluff it up.

That set a precedent and they did not get threaten from a short corner all match.

But the home side did give a brief insight into how they can play as Allberry levelled the score after 29 minutes.

It came after a fantastic run by Andy Whalley and the island’s hockey development officer dived full stretch to put the ball into the net.

The half ended on a sour note for the home side as teenager Jonny Clark was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin-bin for persistent fouling.

The scores remained 1-1 until five minutes into the second half when Colombians’ Damian Wallen brought the ball into the area to feed Adam Kitching, who flicked it home.

The Guernsey crowd were relieved to see the match start to go how they expected – but this lead was short lived as Jersey captain Mark Dicker scored from the penalty spot following an infringement by Tim Creasey on Mike James.

A couple of minutes later, James then put the Reds ahead at a long corner.

Ill-discipline then cost Guernsey dear as Olympic umpire Andy Mair gave Adie Peacegood a yellow card for dissent.

Down to 10 men once again, the island side suffered another setback as Dicker struck for the second time to make it 4-2.

The talented Jersey junior, Pete Millar then dealt the killer blow, with a great individual effort in the final minutes.

‘I’m absolutely delighted,’ said Jersey coach Shelagh Herbert.

‘We’ve got a very good side and we have been playing some very good hockey. Today was a day when it all came together.’Inter-insulars: Six wins for home side but disappointingly the ‘big two’ go the way of Jersey

Article posted on 30th March, 2009 - 2.29pm