SUCCESS for Guernsey’s under-21s had almost become a given before the pandemic.
But that last bastion of inter-insular football joy was broken deep into stoppage time at the Track on Saturday, as sub Miguel Carvalho skilfully volleyed home the winner to give Jersey a victory they fully deserved.
The Greens may have had the best player in Charlton Gauvain, but ultimately were guilty of being too reliant on their skipper’s tricks and as the GFC man grew troubled by an ankle injury the Jersey Goliaths had assumed control.
Guernsey coach Angus Mackay stubbornly refused to change tack or personnel and despite the clear evidence of some dog-tired attackers in the Greens’ line-up, it was not until Carvalho struck that he turned to his bench.
By then it was too late. The size, strength and organisation of Jersey across the board having proven telling.
It is seemingly the norm that the Caesareans will be bigger through the age-group representative sides, but here it was startling – a case of Davids and Goliaths.
Guernsey – attempting to extend their island’s record to six consecutive Ambassadeur Bowl victories – were admirable tiddlers in comparison, yet it was Gauvain who won the first header of the afternoon as he immediately sought to stamp his own brand of authority on the game.
Another stamping authority was ref Tony Sarre, who, with just three minutes on the clock, was instructing big Jersey centre back Sam Sutcliffe to leave the pitch and remove a finger ring.
Until he did he could not continue, leaving the poor player painfully struggling to yank the ring off while his colleagues played with ten men for several minutes.
Playing three at the back, Guernsey took a while to get a foot in the game, but as Ben Acey began to show his skills, the Sarnians began playing the nicer football.
On one occasion Acey admirably danced between several flaying Jersey lunges before moving the ball on as Guernsey pinned much of their hopes on a strong central three.
Jersey tentatively asked for a penalty when skipper James Sunley went tumbling in the box at the midway point of the half, while Guernsey could not capitalise as keeper Jamie Scott kicked clear close to his line after Keene Domaille teed up Gauvain for a pop at goal. Unfortunately, for once, the captain’s shot was not as clean as he would expect and the visitors escaped.
This was a good spell for Guernsey and on 28 minutes Domaille won a dubious free kick 30 yards out. Gauvain’s deflected effort was superbly palmed clear by Robbie Scott, who was quickly up to block a follow up effort by the same player.
There was a first big let-off for the Greens as Luke Shirley sidefooted his shot a foot wide when he might easily have scored.
A minute later Gauvain lost the ball in midfield and Jersey broke. After Shirley’s shot was superbly parried by Hanley, Darryl Mvalo pounced on the loose ball to open the scoring.
The goal knocked some of the stuffing out of the home side, who were notably flat in the remaining ten minutes before half time.
On returning, though, they required just three minutes to level.
Domaille, who worked his proverbial socks off all afternoon, produced a goal of high quality, jinking past one challenge and neatly placing his finish wide of Scott and into the far corner.
Guernsey were not in the ascendancy for long as Jersey came back in pulsating fashion. Miles Hardill ended Rai Dos Santos’s dangerous run towards the box with a poor lunge which deservedly picked up a yellow card and multiple players from each side were involved in a prolonged bout of pushing and shoving.
Gauvain, meanwhile, was pushing his own luck with some vigorous and not always legal challenges.
The captain was in need of a quiet word in the ear to tell him to calm down as, potentially, there was still an hour of football still to be played.
He had that chance to calm himself and rest an ankle that was increasingly causing him problems when the game was stopped for several minutes as the strangely quiet Sol Solomon was treated.
To their detriment, Guernsey had stopped playing the ball on the deck and Jersey’s physical power was again threatening to be decisive, not to mention the darting play of Dos Santos.
Into the last 15 Solomon went down injured again and this time found himself replaced by Patrick O’Toole.
Jersey clearly trusted their alternatives on the bench and with five extra minutes having already been played and extra-time now likely, Mvalo whipped in a cracking cross from the right touchline and sub Carvalho volleyed home while in mid air.
A terrific goal.
U21 Ambassadeur Bowl (last ten results)
2021/22: Guernsey 1-2 Jersey
2018/19: Jersey 3-4 Guernsey
2017/18: Guernsey 3-2 Jersey
2016/17: Jersey 0-2 Guernsey
2015/16: Guernsey 4-3 Jersey
2014/15: Jersey 1-2 Guernsey
2013/14: Guernsey 0-2 Jersey
2012/13: Jersey 1-1 Guernsey [AET; 6-7 pens]
2011/12: Guernsey 0-2 Jersey
2010/11: Jersey 2-1 Guernsey
