FOR a dramatic cup final, Jersey Scottish U13 Navy’s Richie Brocken Cup win will take some beating.
The rollercoaster duel at Oakfield Sports Centre saw St Paul’s U13s storm to a 4-0 lead, before being pegged back to 4-4, as Scottish finished off the remarkable comeback victory in extra time, to win the cup for the first time since its incorporation in the 2014-15 season.
The clash was littered with headlines and sub-headlines, in what Jersey Scottish’s coach James Scott called “a great advert for local junior football.
“It was a super battle between two really good sides.
“Safe to say it was a bit of a rollercoaster, but we got there in the end. It certainly wasn’t looking likely at one stage.
“They showed such unbelievable character and resilience. As a coach that is one of the best things you could see from such a young group of boys.”
The enthralling match was dominated by a pair of Ethans on opposing sides of the pitch – who ended up sharing seven of the nine goals.
St Paul’s Ethan Crompton looked to have put the game beyond doubt, scoring all four of his goals without reply.
His first came on nine minutes, before a second just before the half-hour mark.
Ethan Mills them had a chance from the spot to reduce the arrears for Scottish, but could not convert, before Crompton sealed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time.
When he rounded the ‘keeper for a fourth just after the restart, the game looked done and dusted.
However, the young Scottish heads refuse to drop.
A couple more chances fell Crompton’s way that would have killed the game off, but Scottish repelled and began their fairytale fight back.
Mills made up for his missed spot kick and then some.
The first came by way of a 25-yard bullet into the roof of the net, before he nabbed another to make it 4-2.
The hat-trick came via a beautifully executed bicycle kick from a corner to leave the St Paul’s camp stunned.
Mills then turned provider in additional time, picking out Finn McGrath to send the teams into extra time.
Right at the end of the first half of extra time, Jack Elliot scored the ninth goal on the day to put Scottish in the lead for the first time – a lead they would refuse to relinquish.
“Myself and Steve [McGrath] have definitely done what we can to instil a mentality of resolve in the players,” added Scott.
“But ultimately, the way they clawed their way back into the game was testament to them.
“To go out there and show that level of determination has to come from within, so that is on their shoulders, not us.
“There are so may different ways to win a match of football and just the way they never gave up, even at 4-0 down makes me so proud as a coach and I’m sure it’ll be a final that lives long in the memory of those boys and Jersey Scottish as a family.
Jersey Scottish: Oscar Militis, Hayden Brennan, Callum McConnell, Tadudzwa Ngarize, Ty Thomas, Riley Lumsden, Ethan Scott, Finn McGrath, Ethan Mills. Rolling substitutes: Jack Elliot, Tom Ingram, Xavier Shrestha-Allen, Jamie Woodley
St Paul’s: Seb Van der Niet, Theo Bell, Tyler Jackson, Jie Smithers, Oskar Karwowski, Harrison Rogers, Oskar Fender, Noah Sturrock, Ethan Crompton. Rolling substitutes: Archie Herridge, Harrison Hayes, Aston White, Ollie Braithwaite, Andy Webber
