‘BLOW the final whistle ref. Put us out of our misery,’ groaned my Jersey colleague Andy Bradshaw as another minute of stoppage time ticked by at the Track on Sunday afternoon.

For some time we had been in agreement, there was no way Jersey looked like scoring.

Guernsey had, we agreed, very deservedly, this Muratti Vase final in the onion bag.

But football being football, it is never so simple as that.

It can be complicated, over-complicated in fact, and in the dying seconds, Tony Vance got too clever by half.

He knows it, too.

Bringing on Tom Strawbridge as his third and final sub with only the time it takes Usain Bolt to run 100 metres left on the excellent Mr Crossley’s stopwatch, was not needed, especially when defending the last set-piece of the game.

As we know Jersey scored, Guernsey were out on their legs and with three of the worst spot-kicks you could ever dream of being taken by island footballers, another Muratti slipped away.

But if you want a manager to blame, don’t expect me to join your chorus.

As crushing as the result was, let us not forget who prepared a Guernsey side which I believe to be our finest in many years and had outplayed a poor Jersey outfit for 96 minutes.

Totally outplayed them.

Vance was responsible for an exhilarating first-half performance which should have yielded a match-winning lead by the break.

Vance, it is, who has brought a new, exciting, positive, sports scientific culture to our senior representative side, and for that he should be applauded.

With just a little bit of luck Guernsey would have won this Muratti by four, five, six and Jersey could not have complained.

Jersey were thoroughly outplayed, as highlighted by Monday’s player rating totals.

Even given the natural bias of a Sarnian, Jersey’s total of 64 to Guernsey’s 82 indicated where the class lay.

Jersey looked a poor team.

The Greens may not be a particularly big team but they overpowered Jersey all over the pitch.

The visitors could not cope with the intensity and the constant pressing of a very fit, focused and disciplined home side.

Jersey were losing every battle. Even the always admirable Stuart Andre, the Jersey captain, was being made to struggle by a Guernsey frontline in which Allan was electric, Heaume awesome and everywhere, Dyer tricky as you would expect him to be.

Behind them Guernsey’s tight middle three obliterated the threat of the talented Luke Watson.

The Guernsey strategy was working a treat but for the goals tally.

Many a Guernsey side has failed to turn up for a modern-day Muratti or has been shackled by a combination of fear or ultra-conservative tactics.

But not this Guernsey side and, having been one of Matt Warren’s fiercest critics these past two years, the 2003 Island Games hero was superb, driving us forward and adding to the problems of Andre and co.

At times we toyed with the Reds and it is very rarely you can say that. We were quicker, more skilful and the more committed.

But we lost and Jersey do deserve credit for simply sticking at it and hoping to get lucky.

Craig Culkin knows this was a Great Escape and was happy to admit it. Well done to him because I can think of a long line of Muratti coaches (from both islands) who have been too blinkered to see the truth and admit it.

But should Culkin stay in charge for the Island Games he will now, if he didn’t already, know Guernsey have a stronger team than his own Caesareans.

That is not simply down to raw talent, it is down to Vance and his team – Colin Fallaize, Mike Thomas and Steve Sharman.

So, all Guernsey fans, don’t be too hard on our coach.

He has already given us good times and I expect there will be many more good ones in the years to come.

Jersey may have the better youth development system which is bringing through decent players such as Kurtis Guthrie, who performed beyond what you expect from a 17-year-old thrown in at the deep end, but Guernsey have the better senior team at present.