GROUVILLE FC continued their magnificent season by reaching the final of the JFA Le Riche Trophy after a superb 3-2 win over St Paul’s.
As a club, Grouville are setting the standard in local football this campaign, with their first team, second team and reserves all returning outstanding performances.
Saturday’s Le Riche Trophy semi-final at Le Boulivot was an epic clash between the Premiership 1 league leaders and the young guns of St Paul’s.
The boys in yellow and black were quickest out of the blocks, taking an early lead through Callum Gilroy, which they held into the half-time break.
Grouville fought back, however, through Harrison Moon and Jules Gabbiadini, as the game became a real back-and-forth arm wrestle.
Sonny Cassidy levelled the match for St Paul’s before, in the dying embers, Jake Mulholland netted the winner and sent the home faithful delirious.
Grouville firsts hopes of a league and cup double remain firmly alive.
They will meet the winners of the opposite semi-final between Jersey Wanderers and St Clement, set for 25 February, in the final at Springfield Stadium.
Just the two games took place in Premiership 2 last weekend, as the in-form St John battled out a 0-0 draw with third-placed Dragoes de Jersey.
St John have been in sensational form this season, this being the first points dropped from their eight league games so far.
With a four-point gap to St Ouen’s in second, Corey Bisson’s side are looking odds-on for a spot in the top flight next season.
Elsewhere, the battle of the bottom two Premiership 2 sides saw First Tower United secure a 2-1 home win over St Lawrence, who remain without a point this campaign.
Leonardo Antunes and Thomas Le Monnier were on target for Tower, with the impressive 16-year-old debutant Charlie Caviglione netting for St Lawrence – one of three to make their senior debuts on the day.
Moving to Championship 1, Grouville Reserves landed a statement win over St Clement Reserves, beating them 5-2 at home.
Andre Nunes was the star with a brilliant hat-trick, backed up by goals from Callum Barry and Elton Atat.
Alex Mottram and Alfie Queree were on target for St Clement.
A nine-goal thriller took place at St Brelade, as the hosts went down 3-6 to an inspired Jersey Wanderers Reserves.
A Benjamin Falana strike and a Michael Hood double wasn’t enough on the day, as goals from Joel McKinlay, Jack Browning and braces each for Evan Lees and Josh McGarr sealed the emphatic Wanderers win.
Just the one game in Championship 2 saw Grouville C take all three points away to Sporting Academics Reserves with an impressive 2-4 win.
Stephen Coleman was the man of the day for the Groove bagging a hat-trick, with Sonny Teeling netting the other.
Kadiraven Pareatumbee and Yogesh Ramnochane were the scorers for the home side.
In the Women’s Division, Soraya Da Conceicao proved once again why she is one of the best goalscorers around, with a superb hat-trick for St Peter in a 3-0 win over Sports Club of Jersey.
St Peter sit fourth in the division, with a game in hand over Jersey Wanderers above them.
Four games in the Alexforbes & Hepburns Walking Football division saw league leaders Trinity batter First Tower 6-1.
Noel Kernan and James Sutcliffe both bagged doubles, alongside strikes from Chris Hall and Brian Sutcliffe.
Colin Cowey was the lone First Tower scorer.
St Paul’s beat St Ouen’s 3-2, thanks to a hat-trick from the excellent Simon Logan.
Russel Le Feuvre and Daniel Craven netted for St Ouen’s.
Portuguese FC of Jersey beat Rozel Rovers 2-1, thanks to a double from Stephen O’Brien, cancelling out Rozel’s goal from Luke Heynes.
Lastly, St John were handed an away walkover victory against Grouville.
