While Guernsey’s Maya Le Tissier made her own piece of history as the first girl to play in the annual Schoolboy Muratti clash and duly won her side’s player of the game award, the less expected second ‘first’ in the 91st match, came not from a first penalty shoot-out which lay in wait for any draw, but from the impressive Haute Vallée winger.
Hat-tricks have been scored in the fixture before but most likely no player has ever netted three times before the half-time break as Marcinko did at Foote’s Lane to ensure Jersey regained the trophy.
It was impressive stuff from the rangy No. 7 who capitalised on some consistently awful defending by the home side who trudged off at the interval 5-0 down.
Guernsey were no match for the visitors and in many ways it looked men against boys, both physically and tactically.
Le Tissier, who took the captain’s armband in the closing stages, was impressive enough and did her best to stem the tide, but Jersey were simply too powerful as a unit and did not seem to have any weaknesses.
Such was their dominance team manager Russell Le Feuvre could afford to take off Marcinko midway through the second period.
Jersey coach Russell Le Feuvre said: ‘Ryan was delighted, and he fully deserved his hat-trick.
‘Going in we thought he’d do well on the right side of midfield, even though he’s not played in that position for his club, but he did really well. He was quick and strong and we had to take him off because he ran himself into the ground.
‘One word the players used to describe the game was “ruthless”. They just kept going and were 100 per cent from start to end. It was about applying themselves correctly until the final whistle, and they did that.’
In an early attack Marcinko, given the chance by goalkeeper Nathan Le Tissier’s poor goal kick, cracked a shot against the foot of the post.
The winger had just served notice that he was one to carefully watch.
On ten minutes Jersey went ahead, Liam Guille steering a shot into the corner as he ran onto a pass between the central defenders.
It was at this point Guernsey had their own moments and twice threatened to score, the first time after Maya Le Tissier’s high free kick into the box was only partially cleared and Charlie Driscoll forced a fine stop out of Daniel Medcalf.
Then, after a superb piece of approach play down the right, skipper Joe Welsh shot straight at Medcalf.
Within a minute of the latter, Jersey swept upfield and striker Kushal Frankson netted.
Driscoll then went close again for the home team before terrible defending at the other end let in Marcinko to score. Jersey were 3-0 up after just 21 minutes.
Guernsey were shell-shocked and with Max Corbett picking his passes into the swift and powerful Marcinko and Frankson, Jersey looked like scoring with virtually every attack.
For the fourth and Marcinko’s second Bradley O’Regan tried to pass his way out of defence. He gave the ball away on the edge of the box. Marcinko made him pay.
On the brink of half-time the winger got another as the Greens allowed a 50-yard diagonal free-kick by Oliver Norton from his own half, and Marcinko latched onto it before sweeping it home.
It could have been worse too, moments earlier Jersey seemingly hard done by to have an effort by Norton into the top far corner disallowed.
After the break Callum Le Lacheur pulled one back with a curling effort, but there never seemed a chance of a wind-assisted revival.
Jersey then added two more courtesy of Frankson and Guille.
‘It’s easy to be on a team when things are going well – it’s how players react when things are not going well that is important,’ said Le Feuvre, praising the Sarnian hosts.
‘Guernsey’s commitment and endeavour was superb. Their heads didn’t drop and they never got on each other’s backs.’
Le Feuvre thanked sponsors TDS Limited, who provided brand new kit and training tops for the Jersey squad.
