First Tower 3, North 1

FIRST TOWER retained the ‘Pompey Trophy’, the Junior Upton, at Springfield, but, in terms of possession and passing football for the first 45 minutes at least, they were outplayed. They went into the changing rooms at half-time 1-0 up thanks only to a dubious ‘penalty’ converted by Peter Vincenti junior.

That goal, after 14 minutes, was completely against the run of play.

Before then North’s elegant brand of football, which saw the ball played wide to both the left and right flanks before it was fed inside, mainly to number nine Blake Smith, made them easily the better team.

Tower’s midfield was virtually non-existent, and when they did have the ball – a rarity – no-one seemed interested in running to help Nathan Maguire, virtually a lone number nine who, for the full 90 minutes, was a one-man thorn in the North defence’s side.

It was Maguire who flew up, and then down, in the Guernsey penalty area after the first and only attacking move by Tower in the first 15 minutes.

Referee Mark Le Cornu duly awarded the penalty and booked ‘keeper William Woodford for the challenge, but even the Tower supporters were surprised by the decision.

Still, Vincenti had only one intention as he ran up to the ball and thumped it hard into the net to the right of the ‘keeper.

To their credit the North didn’t complain and carried on playing neat, one-touch passes, running the Tower defence ragged, although there was a steel at the heart of the home team’s back four which gradually wore down the Guernsey attack.

In the 20th minute, for example, David Syvret on his own goal line saved a certain goal as he looped the ball over the crossbar with ‘keeper Jack Jouanny beaten, and with the ball heading to the left of him into – Syvret apart – an empty net.

A few minutes later Jouanny had to show pace and bravery as Tom Poole’s back pass fell woefully short and, as North’s Smith accelerated on to goal, only a desperate lunge to the ball saw it cannon off both players and away out of danger.

Tower were living dangerously, and Jouanny was easily the busier ‘keeper, making further saves in the first half from North’s Kyle Stone, twice, and the impressive Craig Young.

However, having soaked up all of the pressure for the first 45 minutes, Tower could have sealed the game a minute before half-time when a great run and shot by Daniel Parry, a contender for man of the match having come on for injured captain, Nathan Jegou, in the eighth minute, was pushed out to Vincenti with an open goal to run on to.

Instead of scoring, however, he struck the ball low, firm, and straight against the left-hand goal post. The ball ballooned back into play and the chance was gone.

So it was 1-0 to the Tower, against the run of play, at half-time.

It must have been then, during the next 15 minutes, that the game was really won.

As Tower manager Kevin McGuire said, afterwards: ‘I gave them a stiff talking to at half-time. I told them they had been sound asleep in the first half, and that they had to pick a man on the opposition side, and prove that they were better than him.’

So Tower came out, all guns blazing. And within two minutes of the start of the second half they were 2-0 ahead.

Following only their fourth corner of the game, Ryan Durand ghosted past his marker on the right, threaded a tremendous through ball to Parry who placed the ball into the net, courtesy of a slight deflection off a North defender.

Tower’s direct approach was working, and working well. Almost from the re-start Durand was almost through for another, only to be cut down on the right-hand side of the box. Sam Stables was booked for the challenge.

North began to lose their shape and at the back Tower’s Tom Poole was a colossus; alert to every danger and a calming influence on the players around him.

Still, with 18 minutes remaining, he was powerless to stop North scoring a goal they richly deserved.

A tremendous solo run by Ollie McKenzie and a glorious cross was met firmly by Craig Young who side-footed the ball home past Jouanny from six yards out.

Suddenly, a revitalised North side were back in the game and looked far more likely to score as Stone twice miscued in front of goal as did McKenzie, in both the 83rd and 84th minute; the second time topping the ball 8ft over the net when it would have been easier to score.

Tower, now relying on solid defence and quick counter-attack, then sealed the game a minute from time. Parry’s shot on the run was pushed out to his right by Woodford, allowing Vincenti to complete the scoring.

A score of 3-1 to Tower seems harsh to the visitors who for so long were the better team, but as North’s manager, Mick Le Prevost said: ‘I think the first penalty, if it was a penalty, spoilt the game. In the first half I thought we were superb, and even at 2-1 down I thought we would good enough to score again. But you’ve got to take your chances. We didn’t; Tower did. That’s football for you.’