Dave Rihoy (left)
DAVE RIHOY unleashed three months of fury on Froya yesterday to help fire Guernsey into the Island Games semi-finals.
It was the island’s star forward’s first competitive representative match since his controversial sending off against Alderney in the Muratti semi-final and he marked his comeback with a terrific hat-trick in an 8-0 win.
In the group’s other match, Gibraltar lost 3-1 to Ynys Mon to ensure that Guernsey progressed.
‘It was hard. It was my first game for a while,’ Rihoy said.
‘We knew we had to score goals and to actually go out and achieve it proves that we have a good squad.
‘But we cannot get on our high horses yet – getting out of the group is just the first step.’
Rihoy might have claimed another, but sportingly admitted that the fourth goal early in the second half was an own goal.
Ross Allen also scored a hat-trick for his side while Joby Bourgaize added the last.
However, qualification hung in the balance for much of the afternoon with the Guernsey bench trying to work out all the goal difference scenarios before word filtered through that Ynys Mon had come from behind to beat Gibraltar.
The result meant that Gibraltar, the gold medallists in Rhodes, finished third in group B.
Guernsey now play Jersey in tomorrow’s semi-final.
Jersey beat Isle of Wight 4-1 in their final group match to finish with maximum points.
Article posted on 1st July, 2009 - 2.30pm
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