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JERSEY can prevent Guernsey from winning the Insurance Corporation Muratti Vase final for a fourth consecutive time on Saturday.
That’s the view of manager Jimmy Reilly, who takes an Island side into the historic fixture for the first time in his managerial career.
2014: Jersey 1-4 Guernsey
2013: Guernsey 2-1 Jersey
2012: Jersey 0-2 Guernsey
2011: Guernsey 1-1 Jersey (Jersey won 3-0 on pens)
2010: Jersey 0-1 Guernsey
2009: Guernsey 0-1 Jersey
2008: Jersey 1-1 Guernsey (Jersey won 4-2 on pens)
2007: Guernsey 0-0 Jersey (Jersey won 7-6 on pens)
2006: Jersey 3-2 Guernsey
2005 replay: Jersey 3-3 Guernsey (Guernsey 3-2 on pens)
2005: Guernsey 0-0 Jersey
Muratti series: Jersey seniors lead Guernsey 51-45.
Shock: Alderney have one victory to their name – a 1-0 defeat of Guernsey (in Jersey) in 1920. Jersey had lost to Guernsey in the semi-final
The former Muratti cap, who took charge of Jersey’s men last autumn, accepts it will be a tough game, but providing his team put in a good performance he sees no reason why Jersey can not regain the silverware.
Reilly said: ‘There’s a good spirit among our lads, everyone is looking forward to the game and, hopefully, we’ll go over there and put in a performance.
‘We can win; as in any game you go in to try to win it and that’s exactly what we will be looking to do.
‘We’ll look to be compact and catch them on the break and I’m sure we’ll do well.
‘Our build up has been good; we’ve had four games in the last two weeks and we’ve been training every Wednesday night as well. I think the guys have done as much as they can in preparation, we’re looking in good shape and yes I’m pleased with how things have gone.
‘There’s no doubt it’s going to be a hard game, it’s got to be remembered that Guernsey are playing in England regularly in a higher division than us so we’ve got to go there and be competitive and let’s hope we can get the right result.
‘It doesn’t worry me that Guernsey play at a higher standard than us because we’ll be organised and ready for the challenge on the day.
‘It’s a one-off game, a bit like the FA Cup can be and if you can be organised and compact then you’ll have a chance of winning and my gut feeling is that Jersey are going to win.
Jersey lost early goals in their last two Muratti final defeats, so have Reilly and his assistants worked hard to avoid that this time round?
‘We’ve worked on the shape of our team and the back four and we want them to be solid. The last thing we want to do is lose an early goal.
‘I’m quite confident, we’ve got good experience at the back and with a bit of youth in the team as well, I’m sure with the mix that we’ve got we can give Guernsey a fright.’
Reilly watched last year’s 4-1 defeat by Guernsey at Springfield and he said that Jersey did not play well on the day.
He said: ‘Guernsey did look streets ahead of Jersey a year ago and I have to be honest I did not think that Jersey played well enough on the day so hopefully this time the players can go there and put a better performance on.’
Reilly said that having to name his NatWest Island Games squad before his Muratti squad was not a problem.
He added: ‘It doesn’t matter. I was always going to pick the Muratti squad from the 20 selected for the Island Games.
‘It was never a problem and if we get a major injury it’s simply a case of bringing someone else in.’
Guernsey: Tardiff, Cochrane, Le Prevost, Dodd, Mckay, Rihoy, Loaring, De La Mare, Heaume, Allen, Young.
Jersey: Fletcher, Scott, Campbell, André, Cannon, Baker, Watson, Miley, Martinovic, Boyle, Russell.
