It was a generally positive opening for the Guernsey side on a Northfield pitch looking better than at any time this campaign, and inside a couple of minutes Jarod Carrington had a golden chance to put the Greens ahead. But Caesarean goalkeeper Dan Birrell – captain for the day – blocked well.
Jake Syvret was soon showing sparkle down Jersey’s right and Sol Solomon, a two-goal star of the Pompey Trophy a week earlier, had to be closely watched by Miles Hardill.
Twenty minutes in only a superb parry from Lorcan Smith denied Max Rivers a spectacular opener and when the resulting corner was swung in Jersey claimed the ball had crossed the line.
In attack Guernsey were struggling to get Charlton Gauvain on the ball with any frequency, but on the occasion he did the alarm bells clanged in the Jersey defence.
Bizarrely, the two sides were afforded a quarter-time drinks break as Guernsey made a string of rolling subs.
Would so many have an unsettling effect?
Well, it didn’t improve matters and on 40 minutes, just after Smith had made a super near post stop, Syvret drove home a loose ball.
It was probably deserved but the goal was cancelled out early in the second as Jacques Wilcox’s ball brushed the top arm of a defender and on the advice of his linesman referee Luke Pattimore awarded a penalty.
Jersey – rightly – fumed and although Birrell made a fine stop the ball ran loose and Zac Felbabel rushed in to score.
Solomon passed up a fine chance to score but the visitors regained the lead on 74 minutes as Luke Shirley netted from close range. Four minutes later Brad Le Mercier stoked in a third after going forward for a free-kick.
Jersey U18s squad: Dan Birrell, Josh Coutanche, Matt Donaldson, Sol Solomon, Ryan Marcinko, Luke Shirley, Harry Lloyd, Charlie Breese, Eoin Lynam, Jake Syvret, Max Rivers, Brad Le Mercier, Robert Martins-Figueira, Joe Kilshaw, Calum Huckerby, Tom Harris.
Guernsey 1
Felbabel
Jersey 3
Syvret, Shirley, Le Mercier
