IT was a weekend defined by goals across the Jersey football leagues, with St Clement’s Karl Hinds stealing the spotlight after firing five in a 7-1 rout of St Peter to send his side to the top of Premiership 1.
In Premiership 2, Rozel Rovers made history with their third successive 7-1 victory, while Sporting Academics kept pace at the summit thanks to another emphatic win. Trinity also got off the mark with a convincing triumph at Springfield, as the goals kept flowing throughout the divisions.
Meanwhile, Championship 2 produced its own share of drama, with St Paul’s Reserves edging a five-goal thriller to tighten their grip on top spot, and Rozel Rovers Reserves earning their first win of the season.
St Clement 7
Hinds 2′, 15′ 22′, 49′ 71′, Maher 53′, 59′
St Peter 1
Frudd 85′
JEP Player of the Match: Karl Hinds
St Clement surged to the top of Premiership 1 with a ruthless 7-1 demolition of St Peter, powered by a dazzling display from Karl Hinds.
It took just two minutes for the hosts to take control. Hinds stood over a free-kick 20 yards out and curled a precise effort around the wall, leaving goalkeeper Jacob Videgrain rooted as it nestled into the bottom corner.
The Anchors looked far more assured in possession, and by the quarter-hour mark they had doubled their lead. A clipped through ball from Olly Rivers found Hinds timing his run to perfection, lifting the ball calmly over the advancing keeper for 2-0.
St Clement’s relentless tempo proved too much for their visitors. On 22 minutes, Ryan Campos burst down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for Hinds to guide home first time, completing his hat-trick and making it 3-0 inside 25 minutes.
St Peter struggled to establish any rhythm, limited to half-chances before the break, while St Clement continued to threaten through Campos and Bruno Da Silva on the flanks.
Any hopes of a comeback were extinguished early in the second half. From a long throw, Hinds latched onto a flick-on and produced an audacious overhead finish to claim his fourth of the afternoon.
Moments later, Connor Maher joined the act, sliding a left-footed strike past Videgrain before adding a sensational second, flicking the ball over his marker and volleying into the far corner from the edge of the area.
A foul on substitute Seaney McColgan inside the area gave Hinds the chance to convert from the spot and complete St Clement’s seventh goal on 71 minutes, before St Peter captain James Frudd tapped in a late consolation after Tommy Boarer’s effort came back off the post.
St Clement’s emphatic win sees them match Jersey Wanderers on points at the summit, their attacking firepower again proving the difference.
Premiership 2
Premiership 2 once again provided the headline act this weekend, as Rozel Rovers First continued their stunning start to the season with an incredible third consecutive 7-1 victory, making history in the process.
Having dismantled their previous two opponents by the same emphatic scoreline, Rozel maintained their perfect record and cemented their position at the summit of the division.
Rozel’s goalscorers were as follows: Stan Heynes (2), Nathan Macdonald, Joe Austin, Dennis Nkosiphile, Ned Dixon and Tom Proffitt.
Their dominant form shows no signs of slowing, as they matched Sporting Academics stride for stride in the race for early supremacy.
Elsewhere in the same division, Sporting Academics were equally ruthless, cruising past St Lawrence with a 6-1 win at IJB Fields. Jamie Savory struck a second half hat-trick, with further goals from Philip Quinn and Diogo Franca ensuring Accies remain level on points with Rozel at the top.
At the other end of the table, Trinity First finally got their campaign up and running with an impressive 5-2 victory over Dragoes de Jersey at Springfield Stadium.
The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead by half-time through Layton Tucker, Alexander Lincoln and Coen Le Monnier. Second half goals from Harry Henderson and a second from Tucker saw out the match comfortably despite late efforts from Felipe Belelo and Elvio Santos, who found the net for Dragoes in the 60th and 86th minutes respectively.
Championship 2
Meanwhile, in Championship 2, St Paul’s Reserves edged out St Ouen’s C in a thrilling 3-2 top-of-the-table clash, extending their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Callum Gilroy, Aimar Vieira and Louis Robinson were on the scoresheet for St Paul’s. St Ouen’s goals came from Alexander Le Blancq and Callum McDougall.
The victory opens up a seven-point gap at the top, though St Ouen’s still hold a game in hand.
While Rozel Rovers Reserves claimed their first win of the season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Grouville C thanks to Dimeji Ologundudu.
