Jersey keeper Andrew Bird pulled off some remarkable saves when he was called into action, including this close range one from a Ross Allen header. (0799473)
Jersey 2, Guernsey 0
GUERNSEY will not be playing in today’s football final after losing 2-0 to old rivals Jersey in yesterday’s semi-finals at Sportika, Sund.
‘I’m proud of the character they’ve shown,’ said a gutted coach Tony Vance afterwards.
‘Everything we’ve thrown at them, they’ve responded. I’m really disappointed that they’ve not got their just reward.’
Goalkeeper Chris Tardif described the mood in the Guernsey camp after the defeat.
‘Obviously we’re disappointed,’ he said. ‘Everyone has put in so much work. Not only on the pitch but behind the scenes as well.
‘We’ve all worked hard. There’s a good team spirit but we’ve not quite made it. I think we got caught up in playing the occasion and not the team.’
To be fair to Jersey, they deserved the victory.
They went one up through star striker Ross Crick in the first half with the easiest of headers at a corner as the Guernsey defence went to sleep.
It seemed that Guernsey did not turn up until the last 10 minutes of the match, when for the first time they seriously threatened their opponents’ goal.
However, they were kept at bay by the Reds’ keeper Andrew Bird who pulled off a couple of wonder saves before having to be taken to hospital with a suspected broken hand after making one of them.
Mark Lucas rubbed salt in the wounds with another goal in the dying moments.
The Sarnians were silent in desolation at the final whistle while the Jersey players were happiness personified.
‘In the first half we moved the ball around very well and Guernsey struggled with that movement,’ said Jersey coach Craig Culkin.
‘We had a couple of first-half chances to make the game dead and buried but we failed to put them away and that put us under pressure in the second half. But full credit to Guernsey, they never gave up.’
Jersey now face hosts Aland in tonight’s final at the Wiklof Holding Arena which is the home ground for Finnish Premier League side IKF Mariehamn.
Coach Vance has to lift the Guernsey side for a bronze medal play-off against the Isle of Man, who were beaten 2-1 by the hosts in the other semi-final.
The women’s team ended their tournament on a low note, losing 5-0 to the Western Isles.
Article posted on 3rd July, 2009 - 2.30pm
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