AS MATCHES go they do not come much closer than the annual junior schools inter-insular at Foote’s Lane on Saturday morning. The very last stride of the very last race – the under-12 girls’ 4x75m relay – went the way of the home team and Guernsey’s long, long barren run had come to a joyful end.

Guernsey’s record in the fixture is more miserable than our Siam Cup one with just one confirmed win in 30-plus years until this one.

Nobody was more delighted than Alun Williams, manager of the Guernsey team who had drafted in the big guns – Dale Garland and Lee Merrien – to assist with preparations.

It worked. Just.

‘I’ve been involved in these matches for 10 years and I’ve never seen anything so exciting,’ said Williams, whose team had led all morning but been pegged back slowly to the extent that the visitors won the penultimate relay to level the scores.

‘I’m so proud of both sets of kids,’ added Williams after the traditional three cheers for each team and one more for good luck.

This was sport in its purest form and wonderful to watch.

Guernsey had started fantastically well, winning the first seven track races – sprints and hurdles – until Tessa Letherbarrow broke Jersey’s duck.

Even before her victory in the under-11 55m hurdles, most races had been close with Guernsey invariably coming through strongly in the final 20 metres to nick the victory.

Dylan Potgieter, Teresa Roberts, Eben Marsh, Poppy Barker, Josh Cowdrey, Sian Brodrick and Keanu Marsh were the magnificent seven early winners and there were more domestic successes in the long jump.

Eben Marsh pulled out a 4.05 leap to win the under-11 boys’ event, but no less impressive was Jersey’s Nick Dawson in the elder event.

Jersey also took the under-12 girls’ event but Emily Huxster produced a personal best 3.43 to win the under-11 girls’ long jump with the final leap of the competition.

But Jersey had the better throwers and held sway in the high jump, although Cowdrey cleared an excellent 1.42 to prevent a Caesarean clean sweep of that event.

After 10 of the 22, Guernsey led 58-42, after 16 by just 10 and with just the relays to come by a mere four.

Three of the four sprint relays completed, Jersey had won two – the under-12 boys with a superb record-breaking performance – and it was level pegging.

The last race maintained the excitement.

Jersey sprang into an early lead only for Guernsey to make up ground and give Roberts of Notre Dame a half-stride lead in the final leg.

Pushed all the way to the line, she stayed a stride ahead and Guernsey celebrated.