A HAT-TRICK from Stan Dunne lit up Friday night football as St Paul’s First ran riot in a 6-1 Premiership 1 victory over Madeira at Springfield.
Dunne was in irresistible form, claiming the match ball in a man-of-the-match display as St Paul’s set the tone early. Callum Gilroy added a brace to the tally, while Joey O’Toole capped the scoring with a delightful dinked finish that rounded off an emphatic evening under the lights.
There were further positives for St Paul’s beyond the scoreline. Harry Curtis made his return from injury, completing 40 minutes as he continues his recovery, while Under-16s Gus Dorosz and Miguel Barros were both handed first-team debuts, a promising sign of the club’s pathway strength.
Elsewhere in the top flight, St Clement First emerged 3-1 winners away at St Peter First in what can only be described as testing conditions. With the pitch heavy and the weather unkind, flowing football was at a premium, but the visitors adapted better.
The opener arrived via a corner which was turned into the net for an own goal, before Seaney McColgan doubled the advantage following an excellent team move that was one of the few slick passages of play on a muddy afternoon. Karl Hinds added a third to continue his consistent scoring run, ensuring the points travelled back east.
St Clement and St Paul’s successfully close the gap on league leaders Jersey Wanderers, should the sides win their respective games in hand, the top three will be separated by just five points.
St Brelade First scheduled fixture against St Ouen First was postponed.
The headline story in Premiership 2 came at the expense of Sporting Accies, whose perfect start to the season was brought to an abrupt halt.
Having won their opening eight league fixtures, Accies were finally beaten, and in dramatic fashion, as St John First claimed a 5-3 victory.
Daniel Stevens proved the difference with a superb hat-trick, while Noah Trench and Rikkie Rand also found the net for the visitors. Accies responded through a Diogo Franca double and a strike from James Walsh, but it was not enough to preserve their 100% record.
In contrast, there was celebration for St Lawrence First, who secured their first win since 2022 with a 4-1 success against Dragoes de Jersey.
It was a result built on youth and energy, with four junior players included in the starting line-up, a reflection of the club’s renewed focus on academy development.
Jared Carpenter struck twice, while Liam Duxbury and Asad Khan added further goals in what was a significant afternoon for the parish side. Pedro Martins scored Dragoes’ consolation.
Sports Club of Jersey edged a five-goal encounter against Trinity, winning 3-2. Sebastian Figuera, Ruben Da Silva and Clife Silva were on target for the hosts, while Layton Tucker’s brace kept Trinity competitive but ultimately short of a result.
In Championship 2, St Ouen’s C team recorded the weekend’s most emphatic scoreline with a 6-0 victory over St John Reserves.
With the visitors understood to be missing a number of players, St Ouen capitalised ruthlessly as they continue to apply pressure to St Paul’s Reserves at the top of the table.
Alexander Le Blancq led the charge with a hat-trick, supported by strikes from Jack Bara, Jack Happer and Kacper Smilek in a dominant display.
The Championship 1 meeting between Grouville Reserves and St Clement Reserves was postponed, while both de Carteret Wealth Women’s Jersey FA Cup ‘Colin Welsh Cup’ ties were also called off.
With goals flowing across multiple divisions and a few significant streaks coming to an end, it proved another eventful weekend in local football.
