U18 Muratti reaction: Lekimamati orchestrates pitch-perfect win

Before a crowd approaching 350, the hosts raced into an early two-goal advantage before Guernsey pulled a goal back minutes after the break.

Jersey pulled away again to lead 4-1, only for the Sarnians to battle back, but in the end Robbie Legg’s hat-trick was in vain as Jersey recorded their seventh win in the age group in eight years.

Jersey U18s 4

Le Quesne 3, Bickley 12, Lekimamati 55, 62

Guernsey U18s 3

Legg 48, 75, 90+2

John A’Court, Jersey’s assistant manager, said: ‘We controlled the game for long periods after capitalising on a fast start.

‘Our shape and partnerships throughout the team were good and we reacted well after Guernsey scored to get away again before having to dig deep as Guernsey finished well.

‘It was an entertaining game and we played some good football – not surprisingly, really, because you can’t fail to play football on that surface.

Jersey		Guernsey
19	Shots	16
12	On target	9
3	Corners	6
11	Fouls	12
0	Yellows	0

Lekimamati, who won his third Junior Muratti, said: ‘It was a good game and I enjoyed it. The team played well and our passing was really good at times.

‘The work-rate from everyone was good; I was delighted with my goals and well done to Guernsey because they battled on and took their chances well in the end.’

Guernsey manager Martin Scott said: ‘Jersey deserved to be 2-0 ahead at half time; we were slow starters and Jersey played some very good football.

‘We did not do what we set out to do; we spoke about it at the break and we were much better after that.

‘Getting an early goal gave us a bit more confidence but a couple of errors resulted in us going 4-1 behind. It knocked our confidence a bit but we got going again and we finished well.

Guernsey goalkeeper Nick Batiste got a touch to the ball but was unable to keep Jersey captain Jonny Le Quesne’s early 20-yard effort out and Guernsey quickly responded with Kyle Smith being denied by a fine a blocked save from Jersey goalkeeper Euan Van der Vliet.

Jersey, who impressed in possession, got lucky with their second goal as Lekimamati’s cross from the right, after a superb 40-yard cross-field pass by Luca Margaroli, struck a defender leaving the ball deflect to Lorne Bickley who found a bottom right-hand corner to double Jersey’s advantage.

Legg slid in on a post to nudge the ball just wide and Lekimamati, who was afforded a lot of space throughout, cut in and shooting his low effort was saved by Batiste’s outstretched foot.

Batiste then tipped over Bickley’s acute angle effort while at the other end Van der Vliet saved high to his right from Tyler McKane then low to his right from Aaran Addis from a rehearsed free kick.

Charlie Thompson got behind Jersey’s defence to clip the ball across goal for Legg to head home Guernsey’s first goal shortly after the resumption.

Lekimamati then scored the goal of the game to put Jersey 3-1 up. Batiste raced out of his penalty area to clear danger; the ball went to Lekimamati and, controlling the ball well, he then showed great composure to score from 40 yards.

Just after the hour Lekimamati controlled a cross from the left superbly before firing home his second from a few yards to put Jersey 4-1 ahead.

The game appeared over but to their credit Guernsey, like Jersey in the opening 45 minutes, were now passing the ball confidently and Legg, after a good lay-off by the hard-working Smith, hit the ball towards goal and it struck a defender’s foot to wrong-foot Van der Vliet for Guernsey’s second goal.

A back-pedalling Van der Vliet then did well to tip over Louis Hunter’s dipping shot from 30 yards and with 90 minutes up Van der Vliet upended McKane to concede a penalty kick that Legg tucked away to complete a hat-trick with little time remaining.

Jersey

Euan Van der Vliet

Josh Rondel

Steffan Kermin

Scott McClurg

Kieran Quérée (Shay Miley, 67)

Francis Lekimamati

Jonny Le Quesne

Jamie Hamilton

Luca Margaroli

Bradley Gollop (Tom Linnell, 78)

Lorne Bickley (Harrison Moon, 87)