Following their 7-1 humbling on home soil in the 2014 inter- insular, Jersey arrived for the 2015 edition well-prepared and ready to show Guernsey they were a force to be reckoned with once more.
Men’s 1s: Guernsey 2, Jersey 1
Men’s 2s: Guernsey 1, Jersey 2
Men’s 3s: Guernsey 4, Jersey 1
Ladies 1s: Guernsey 1, Jersey 0
Ladies 2s: Guernsey 1, Jersey 2
Ladies 3s: Guernsey 4, Jersey 0
Led by an outstanding man-of-the-match performance from Pete Millar, they did just that in a cracking game in front of a packed new Guernsey Hockey Club stand, but those Sarnian fans still went home happy.
In the end, Guernsey showed the quality that has seen them remain unbeaten for getting on for two years now and their extra firepower proved vital in an enthralling contest.
‘After losing 7-1 last year, they were always going to heed the lessons of that and set up their side to frustrate us, which is exactly what they did,’ said Guernsey player-coach Andy Whalley.
‘We still created a hatful of chances and we deserved to win the game, but the guys really dug in well at times.
‘We should have had two or three more goals, but our defenders also made some fantastic saves as well.’
Jersey captain Tom Millar admitted that the quality of his side’s impressive performance stemmed from the disappointment they felt after last year’s reverse.
‘We knew that, despite last season’s result and the fact they are a very good side who have got to the semi-finals of the EH Trophy yet again, we had the capabilities to upset them,’ he said.
‘I’m not one to ever enjoy defeat, but I am really pleased with my team today. I cannot fault their effort, work-rate, quality and determination.
‘Fair play to Guernsey, though. Zak Damarell got both goals with brilliant finishes and we have been edged by a very good side.’
In a very hard-fought and goalless first half, it was the younger Millar brother who brought the first save out of Jake Le Marchant with an early short-corner drag flick, but it was Jersey’s John Beswick who was the busier of the two goalkeepers.
Firstly he denied Andy Dawson-Ball, who had been put through on goal at the end of a trademark Whalley run, and then the Jersey No. 1 was smartly out to block from Matt Watson, who also fired just wide from Guernsey’s first short.
Le Marchant was soon making a flying save at the culmination of a terrific Jersey move that saw the majority of their players involved and moments later the hosts were down to ten for five minutes after Dawson-Ball was shown a yellow card for a back-stick tackle.
Guernsey still created the better chances while a man down, but Beswick denied Ben Cormack, Whalley and Watson in the space of two minutes and the sides turned around level.
Jersey started the second half brightly and Le Marchant was called upon to block efforts from Arnou Helmholt-Kneisel and Nick Ferraby, but once Guernsey regained the momentum, they made it count.
The deadlock was broken in the 47th minute when, after seeing his initial fierce drive smack the post, Damarell showed excellent composure to control the rebound then find the bottom corner at the second attempt.
A minute later, it was two for Guernsey and two for Damarell.
The goal came from a well-worked short-corner routine that initially saw Damarell nudge the ball right to Whalley and as the Jersey defence focussed their efforts on him, the player-coach slipped the ball back to Damarell who made no mistake with a pinpoint shot.
But just when the Greens were starting to look comfortable, they were once again reduced to ten men with Ben Cormack taking the yellow after a ‘team green’. And while he was off the pitch, Jersey halved the deficit.
Pete Millar was a threat at short-corners throughout and his low drag flick that flew into the boards made it a very tense last quarter-of-an-hour.
Guernsey came close to restoring a two-goal cushion with 12 minutes remaining, but Beswick made a fine save from Steve Waldrom’s drag flick before Andy Le Page hit the side netting from the rebound.
Five minutes later Bobby Minty made a perfectly-timed tackle to deny Damarell the chance of a hat-trick just as he was about the pull the trigger, and as the game entered the final couple of minutes there was still time for two more yellow cards with Anthony Kay quickly followed into the bin by Cormack once more.
But there was no more time for any more chances – Watson being denied on the breakaway by the umpire’s final whistle – and Guernsey could celebrate their third successive win in the annual fixture.
Guernsey: Le Marchant, Dawson-Ball, Cairns, Peacegood, Cormack, Le Page, Alford, Whalley, Damarell, Stokes, Watson, Waldrom, Setters, Cox, Bain.
Jersey: Beswick, Boleat, B. Minty, Kay, T. Minty, P. Millar, Ramskill, Ferraby, Cuming, T. Millar, Helmholt-Kneisel, Tait, White, Simpson, Maguire, Noel.
Prior to that, Guernsey made it three home inter-insulars on the trot as they retained the women’s shield.
It was a hard-fought but deserved victory for David Wray’s side, who continue to develop well, and it was a testament to their work-rate and organisation that young debutante goalkeeper Ruth Hurst was a virtual spectator throughout the 70 minutes.
‘I’m really pleased for them,’ said Guernsey coach Wray.
‘We went out of the EH Trophy early and we were a bit worried that we didn’t have that important game experience coming into today as we have done in recent years.
‘We did well to keep training properly because they know this is an important game and they have shown good development.’
Jersey coach Alan Morris added: ‘Guernsey played well and deserved their win but, although I’m proud of the effort our girls put in, I’m disappointed that, under pressure, we couldn’t stick to our game plan.
‘I have to look over how we can better prepare the team in the future but I also believe that the positive changes we have made this season will show in the long run.’
In what was a closely contested battle, it always looked as if one goal might win it, although Guernsey started much the brighter side and Becky Hubbard went close early on with a short-corner strike that was deflected just wide.
Jersey goalkeeper Lauren Roberts also had to be alert to kick away a dangerous Liz Stonebridge ball into the D, while at the other end Lucy Slimm produced a fine piece of defending to snuff out the threat when Sylvie Wilson looked to break through.
The closest either side came to scoring in the first half was with five minutes remaining when Roberts did well at her near post to block from Bianca Symes at a short-corner, ensuring that the sides turned around all square.
Guernsey came out with plenty of purpose after the break, though, with Symes and Izzy Gingell both growing into the game impressively and causing the opposition problems.
After two decent chances inside the first five minutes of the half – Roberts making one fine block while Liz Dudin just could not quite turn home Gingell’s reverse stick strike – the decisive moment came on 42 min.
The chance was created by Mix Byrom and Laura Webber with Stonebridge on hand to provide the finish on the left-hand side of the D.
Roberts then made a good save from Gingell to keep the score at 1-0 before Debbie Hunter fired just wide at a 59th-minute short-corner and then an outstanding piece of defending from Daisy Letch defused another attack initiated by player-of-the-match Symes.
The New Zealander also teed up another chance for Stonebridge, but this time she pulled it just wide.
Jersey continued to work hard throughout, but with Hubbard marshalling Guernsey well in a deep-lying role with captain Gemma Piercey standing firm behind her, the visitors were unable to penetrate the home defence and create any clear-cut chances.
Instead, the final chance came at the other end with a minute to go when Gingell’s deft touch set Dudin through on goal, but Roberts once again did well to block.
Jersey are sponsored by Brewin Dolphin.
Guernsey: Hurst, Hunter, Piercey, Slimm, Hubbard, Byrom, Webber, Stonebridge, Gingell, Dudin, B. Symes, N. Symes, Stubbert, Cashin, Sharpe, Atkinson.
Jersey: Roberts, Henwood-Darts, Dillon, Letch, Butel, Volpert, McQuaid, Rogers, Helmholt-Kneisel, Kay, Harding, Gorman, Ruellan, Kerley, Wilson, Besnard.
