- Ladies squad for Jersey 2015 includes top five league goal scorers.
- Hosts seeking first Games medal since 2003.
- How far will Jersey’s ladies go at this year’s Island Games? Have your say below.
JERSEY ladies football team manager Simon Petulla has said he is delighted with his attacking options for this summer’s NatWest Island Games following the announcement of a 22-strong provisional squad.
No fewer than 14 players from the Island’s leading two clubs have been named for Jersey 2015, with five of the leading goal scorers in the Jersey Football Combination’s Women’s Division all included. St John FC will be represented by nine players in the squad, St Paul’s five, Grouville four and JTC Jersey Wanderers and St Peter two each.
Jersey coach Simon Petulla: “There’s a lot of self-belief among the players; it’s amazing how much they show they want to do well and some of the quality among them is phenomenal.”
Four goalkeepers have been named, with two due to be omitted in the near future by new goalkeeping coach Jason Carpenter, who has only seen the quartet in one training session to date.
‘It’s great to have goal-scorers in the squad,’ said Petulla, adding: ‘They have a lot of ability and they know where the goal is and that is vital in any team.
‘If we can keep the opposition out I’d always fancy us to get a goal because we have talented strikers and they are quick.
‘Catarina Andrade (née Alves) gives us pace and flair and she can change a game in an instance with a piece of skill which she undoubtedly has.’
Petulla says there is a belief among his squad that they will do well.
The former Muratti striker said: ‘We’ve been training for around three months now with a group of around 30 players and it’s been good.
‘There’s a lot of self-belief among the players; it’s amazing how much they show they want to do well and some of the quality among them is phenomenal.
‘It was an extremely tough job picking the squad, it’s a good mix of experience and youth and if we can win both our group games then we will give ourselves a good chance of winning a medal.
‘We showed togetherness against a strong Navy side in a friendly last month; we looked good going forward, we were able to open up a tight defence on a number of occasions while also doing well defensively.’
Petulla, whose first focus is to retain the Muratti against Guernsey next month, has a friendly against the RAF on Liberation Day before travelling to oppose the Sarnians the following weekend.
Sara Luce, Sophie Botterill, Jodie Botterill, Sylvie Spinola, Kelly Hughes, Marta Assunção, Jess Vieira, Fiona Mackinnon and Rosie Corbett (all St John); Lauren Quémard, Candice Parsons, Eve Watson, Jemma Daniel Catarina Andrade (St Paul’s); Catherine Overbury, Michelle Bichard, Aimée Le Quélènec, Lara Couvert (Grouville) and Chantelle Audrain and Holly Muirhead (St Peter).
