SATURDAY saw the epic conclusion of the Sylvia Spinola Memorial Cup, as Springfield Stadium played host to the Jersey FA Women’s Football Finals Day.
With the group round of the Spinola Cup coming to its conclusion last week, the stage was set for the finals between Rozel Rovers Women and Jersey Wanderers Women in the main event, as well as St Peter Women and Sports Club of Jersey Women in the novel Women’s Jersey FA Plate.
Rozel Rovers walked away with the top prize after a hard-fought 1-0 victory came courtesy of an Emily Le Page winner.
St Peter claimed the Plate glory after a sensational five goals came from the superb Soraya Da Conceicao after the scoring was opened by Kelly Brown, Sports Club’s strike coming courtesy of Emilly Davies.
While Rozel and St Peter might have claimed the day’s plaudits, Jonathan Le Fondre, JFA Competitions Committee chair, said: “The real winner today was women’s football as a whole.
“The Jersey FA were delighted to host a Women’s Football Finals Day here at Springfield, which was linked in with the memory of Sylvia Spinola.
“Sylvia was a huge part of the Island’s football community for such a long time, until she sadly passed away in 2022.
“As a result, the Zenith Cup, as it was known, was revamped for this season and turned into the Sylvia Spinola Memorial Cup, and traditionally where we would only have had the top two teams of the competition playing the final, we also included a third/fourth place play off.”
Sylvia Spinola Memorial Cup Final
Rozel Rovers Women – 1
Emily Le Page 57’
Jersey Wanderers Women – 0
The main attraction of the day saw Rozel Rovers Women just about edge past Jersey Wanderers Women 1-0 in a thrilling contest.
While the contest began with a tentative atmosphere, as both sides adjusted to the high stakes of the occasion, the Rovers appeared to take the initiative in the first half, crafting several promising chances, but struggling to find the target.
Wanderers however, matched their intensity with solid defensive play, making for a well-contested, yet cagey first 45 minutes.
A pivotal moment arrived in the 33rd minute when Wanderers’ Hannah Lynam found herself through on goal, only to be brought down in the box.
Despite the fervent appeals from her team, the match officials deemed it a fair challenge, allowing play to continue as normal.
With the half drawing to a close, Wanderers nearly broke the deadlock when Lara Couvert unleashed a vicious shot, but Rovers’ goalkeeper Summer Watkins read the attack well, racing off her line to cut off Couvert’s possibilities and making a crucial save, keeping the score at 0-0 into the break.
The second half mirrored the first in its intensity, with both teams probing for openings.
It was not until just before the hour mark that the deadlock was finally broken.
A corner kick for Rozel was initially cleared, but found its way back into the penalty area, where Emily Le Page pounced on a loose ball to stab home what would turn out to be the decisive goal, despite the best efforts of Ana Malta, who managed to get a hand on the ball, albeit one of little consequence.
Responding to the now 1-0 deficit, Wanderers shifted their formation, bringing Ella Brennand forward into a more aggressive role, which paid dividends as she began to wreak havoc on the Rovers’ defence.
Brennand’s tenacity led to a powerful shot in the 75th minute that forced another spectacular save from Watkins.
The loose ball fell to Sofia Rodrigues, but Watkins was once again on hand to deny the Wanderers, showcasing her heroic form.
As the minutes ticked down, Wanderers maintained relentless pressure, but the Rovers’ defence held firm, thwarting every attempt to equalize. The final whistle confirmed Rozel Rovers Women’s 1-0 victory, securing their place as champions of the Sylvia Spinola Memorial Cup.
Rozel Rovers Women Squad: Alena Clyde-Smith, Ella Docherty, Lucy Even, Ma-Ya Larsson, Emily Le Page, Holly Muirhead, Marta Rodrigues, Charley Skinner, Tiffany Sundby, Emma Tyniec, Summer Watkins, Amber Butterworth, Susana Dolbel, Jenna McKinley
Jersey Wanderers Women Squad: Catherine Baudains, Ella Brennand, Lara Couvert, Olivia Labesse, Hannah Lynam, Ana Malta, Diana Marsden, Rachael McCartan, Samantha Reis, Sofia Rodrigues, Tammie Wheeler
Women’s Jersey FA Plate
St Peter Women – 6
Kelly Brown 16’, Soraya De Conceicao 39’, 45’, 47’, 88’, 90+1’
Sports Club of Jersey Women – 1
Emilly Davies 32’
Meanwhile, in the inaugural Women’s Jersey FA Plate match-up the newly-formed Sports Club of Jersey Women (SCoJ) put on a show against St Peter Women, despite losing out 6-1 to the Crosskeys, many believe the exhilarating fixture highlighted their potential as a team.
From the opening whistle, SCoJ showcased their attacking prowess, launching a relentless barrage of chances that put St Peter’s defence under severe pressure.
However, an early breakthrough was denied when SCoJ’s goal was disallowed for offside, a decision that left the players and fans momentarily stunned.
The tide turned when St Peter’s Kelly Brown found the back of the net with a perfectly placed cross that nestled into the back post, giving her side a 1-0 lead in the fifteenth minute.
However, the goal served as a wake-up call for SCoJ, who continued to push forward in search of an equalizer.
Their persistence paid off in the 32nd minute when Emilly Davies struck a stunning equalizer, restoring hope for the newly formed team.
The first half continued as an evenly matched contest, with both sides demonstrating their well-matched prowess.
Alas, it was the Crosskeys’ Soraya De Conceicao who proved to be the so-called ‘Achilles Heel’ for SCoJ.
In the 39th minute, her exceptional timing and pace allowed her to break through SCoJ’s high defensive line, slotting the ball into the net to reclaim the lead for St Peter’s and just before the half time whistle, De Conceicao struck again, making it 3-1 and leaving SCoJ to regroup at the break.
After the interval, St Peter’s momentum showed no signs of letting up.
De Conceicao continued to shine, scoring her third goal shortly after the restart, extending the lead to 4-1 and putting SCoJ firmly on the back foot.
Despite the scoreline, SCoJ remained tenacious, showing flashes of brilliance throughout the match.
Yet, as fatigue set in, the St Peter squad took full advantage and De Conceicao capped off her remarkable performance with two more goals in the dying moments of the game, sealing a 6-1 victory.
St Peter Women Squad: Sophie Botterill, Kelly Brown, Shannon Corbally, Soraya Da Conceicao, Sophie Dines, Catarina Gomes, Eliza Lehmann, Lucinda Overbury, Chloe Pereira, Chantelle Renouard, Lisa Stubbs, Jennifer Cullen
Sports Club of Jersey Women Squad: Ema Caires, Nina Camacho, Lorena Ribeiro, Emilly Davies, Vania Faria, Jessiara Freitas, Beatriz Kene, Lara Oliveira, Andrea Santos, Joana Sequeira, Debora Vieira, Veronica Andrade, Marta Ascensao, Eliyah Schwartz, Jessica Silva
