JERSEY’S Learning Disabilities football squad ‘exceeded initial expectations’ to take second place in their debut 11-a-side tournament – before winning their second – the British Isle Cup – the following day.
The squad travelled to the Pontefract Colliery FC grounds in West Yorkshire recently, playing against teams representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a Home International Championship.
The event began with a friendly seven-a-side round-robin tournament, plus a flag-bearing opening ceremony and the playing of national anthems.
In the opening game of the 11-a-side tournament, in which matches were 25 minutes each, Jersey’s accurate passing and shooting were rewarded with a 3-0 win over Scotland – Fabio Cerveira scoring once and Seb Leonard getting a brace.
In the second game against Wales, Wilson Ibbet scored after just 18 seconds – the fastest goal of the tournament.
However, Wales levelled the match just before half-time. In the second half, Jersey pressed the Welsh defence, and substitute Charlie Quenault was rewarded with two goals while Ibbet added a fourth as Jersey ran out 4-1 winners. After lunch, despite two spirited performances, Jersey suffered narrow defeats to eventual winners Northern Ireland and England.
Jersey finished second, on goal difference, out of the five teams, which coaches Gary Norman and Mark Jones said ‘exceeded [their] initial expectations given the lack of experience of the players in 11-a-side and associated rules, such as offside’.
On Sunday 30 July, Jersey, England, Scotland and Wales further competed for the British Isle Cup.
Over the course of the three games, the Jersey goalkeepers, marshalled by David Collingwood, did not concede a single goal, while all the strikers scored.
In the decider against England, who had also won both of their previous games, Jersey took the lead from a goal scored by Cerveira, who neatly found the bottom corner of the English goal.
The second half continued with both teams creating chances before a long-range effort from Leonard added a second for Jersey.
Just before the final whistle, Wilson Ibbet, who was later awarded the Player of the Tournament for Jersey by the officials, sealed the win with a third goal.
