Having finished level on points and goal difference with Isle of Man after the group stage, and only just qualified for the showdown by virtue of scoring more goals than the Manxmen, the hosts more than made up for their 4-3 reverse to defending champions Guernsey a day earlier, by beating the same opponents 6-4 on Sunday.
Their pathway to the final was hardly convincing – they drew 3-3 with Isle of Man, beat PwC Barbarians 7-0 and lost to Guernsey – but the Reds upped their game and quickly established a 3-0 lead against the Sarnians. Shortly before being rushed to hospital with a dislocated thumb, Tom Le Lievre had put his side ahead at a penalty corner and Jack Tait scored a drag flick soon afterwards to double Jersey’s lead.
Nick Ferraby converted from the penalty spot to put the Reds in complete control but a late strike from Steve Waldrom gave Guernsey some hope before halftime.
Two quick goals at the start of the second half – the first a diving deflection from Joe Crill at the near post, the second another penalty corner conversion from Tait – calmed the hosts’ nerves but Waldrom was on target again, this time from the penalty spot to make it 5-2.
‘It really was a fantastic team effort throughout the weekend’
Jersey coach Simon Watling
A cool finish from Luke Maguire after a driving run down the right flank from skipper Tom Millar added another for Jersey and although the visitors found the net twice in the dying stages – through Waldrom and Sam Dawes – Jersey held on for a memorable victory.
Jersey coach Simon Watling said: ‘To come out on top in the final against Guernsey, who have been finalists in the England Hockey Trophy for the last few years, is very pleasing.
‘We definitely developed as a side throughout the tournament in terms of our style of play. We showed great character to twice come from behind against both Isle of Man and Guernsey in the group stage and that coupled with our huge work rate was a key factor.
‘We were disappointed with the result against Guernsey in the group stage but not the performance. We felt we didn’t get the rub of the green on occasions so we were always confident we could cause an upset in the final.’
When asked what was particularly pleasing about Jersey’s performances, Watling continued: ‘Many things – a key area was the improvement in our clarity of thought in the final third of the pitch, which resulted in an abundance of good outcomes in the final.
‘Our structure while in possession and our decision making both developed hugely throughout the tournament as well.
‘It really was a fantastic team effort throughout the weekend but in the final Alex Noel made some excellent saves, Jack Tait stepped up to take control of our corners, Richard White was exceptional in defence, and Bill Millar was our standout midfielder.’
Following their success, Jersey now wait to hear who they have drawn in the first round of England Hockey’s Men’s Trophy, with the matches scheduled for the end of next month.
Watling hopes the Islands Tournament triumph can provide the impetus for a successful season.
‘We will be able to take great confidence into our Trophy campaign next month but there are always things to work on.
‘I was disappointed to leak a couple of goals at the end of the final so we will address our mind set and patterns of play when closing out games.
‘Our game plan is very new and very much a work in progress so we will keep developing in that area.
‘We also have to target our individual skill levels and techniques but it is encouraging to have won the tournament when we still have a number of areas to make significant improvements.’
John Beswick, Alex Noel, Mike James, Sam Boleat, Bobby Minty, Tom Le Lievre, Etienne Davis, Ben Tait, Richard White, Joe Crill, Bill Millar, Stuart Ramskill, Nick Ferraby, Nathan Maguire, Tom Millar (capt), Jack Tait, Reuben Gower, Arnou Helmholt-Kneisel, Luke Maguire, Dom Simpson. Coach: Simon Watling.
Heartbreak for Jersey women
IT was a heart-breaking conclusion to the PwC Islands Tournament for the Jersey ladies’ team, but coach Alan Morris has vowed they will come back stronger as they prepare for the first round of England Hockey’s Women’s Trophy.
After losing their opening match 2-0 to Guernsey on Friday night at Les Quennevais, the hosts bounced back to beat Orkney 3-1 on Saturday before drawing 1-1 with Isle of Man to reach the tournament final on goal difference.
Unable to recreate their heroics from a day earlier, Jersey drew 2-2 with Orkney, before losing 5-4 on sudden death penalty strokes.
‘Of course we are disappointed to lose in the final, particularly on penalty flicks,’ said Morris.
‘But I’m pleased with how the girls played over the tournament. Their commitment has been outstanding all summer, they’ve worked hard on their fitness and there was a dramatic improvement from our inter-insular performance earlier this year.
He added: ‘Losing on strokes is very tough to take but all those who stepped up deserve credit – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and it just wasn’t our day.’
Jersey took the lead in the final when Kerry Rogers finished past the Orcadian keeper at a penalty corner but the visiting team, who finished runners-up in 2013, scored twice to take control.
To their credit, Jersey kept battling and Sarah Heelis was on hand to deflect home the equaliser with ten minutes to play.
With extra time played and the scores still level, it was Orkney who held their nerve from the penalty spot to claim the Islands Tournament trophy for the first time.
On the tournament as a whole, Morris continued: ‘Losing to Guernsey is never good but I felt we played pretty well for the majority of the match, and 2-0 flattered them.
‘To respond so well and beat Orkney 3-1 was great. The girls showed great spirit and they did it again against Isle of Man, coming from 1-0 down to get the draw.
‘That spirit shone through in the final as we found an equaliser in the dying stages but, going forward, we need to work on our composure.
‘Having conceded one goal in the final we panicked and allowed them to score again soon after. At times like that we have to stay composed and control the game.’
With only a month until the first round of the EH Trophy is scheduled to be played, Morris says his team must continue to improve.
‘Reaching the final will have given all the girls confidence but we need to push on, keep training hard, get a good run in the Trophy and try to win back the inter-insular trophy in March.
‘It’s disappointing to lose in the final but there are a lot of positives to take into our Trophy campaign. We’ve improved a lot in short space of time so hopefully we can kick on and have a successful season.’
Jersey: Laura Besnard, Sara Luce, Fiona Anderson, Trudy Dillon-Nugent (capt), Ciara McQuaid, Lori Moran, Becky Henwood-Darts, Natacha Kay, Julie Harding, Lisa Grant-Phillips, Kerry Rogers, Sadie Ruellan, Chrissie Helmholt-Kneisel, Sylvie Wilson, Joni Gorman, Sarah Jenkins, Sarah Heelis, Flo Copley. Coach: Alan Morris.
