JERSEY’S gritty victory away to Ashford (Middlesex) has been rewarded with a home draw in the next round of the EH Men’s Tier 2 KO Championships.
The Islanders are set to welcome Woking to Les Quennevais on 17 February, however the date is yet to be finalised.
The affair might prove to have added spice, after Jersey defeated Woking in last year’s edition of the championships on penalty shuffles.
The UK side were far from impressed with the awarding of the Caesarean goal which earned them shuffles, even lodging a complaint to England Hockey regarding the officiating.
The second-round tie with Ashford “was scrappy at times”, but the Caesareans dug deep against their Middlesex counterparts to progress, courtesy of a double from the Watling brothers, Jamie and Sam.
Player coach Tom Sibley said: “It was a pretty scrappy game, but it was a tricky pitch to play on. A nice pitch, but very slick, so staying on your feet was slightly tricky at times and added a few complications.
“What was really pleasing was our discipline. Our structural discipline, especially in the second half was very good.
“We gave away very few chances to score and made life tough for them.
“Admittedly, we didn’t create perhaps as many chances as we would have liked, but we were never particularly under pressure from them at our end.
“Defensively it was a really strong display and that has been a real point of emphasis, so it’s pleasing to see that time and effort make a difference.
Jersey took the lead mid-way through the first half, with a clinical counter-attack.
Following a loose pass from the opposition, Sam Habin was able to lift the ball through to Sam Watling, who had the Ashford half all to himself. The schoolboy calmly took the ball around the onrushing keeper and slotted into an empty net.
However, despite looking comfortable at the back, the Reds conceded shortly before half-time as a deflected penalty corner found the back of the net via the crossbar.
With renewed impetus at the start of the second period, Jersey created a flurry of chances after the break, culminating in Jamie Watling, Sam’s older brother, firing a reverse stick shot past the home keeper.
Ashford almost sent the contest to penalty shuffles in the dying embers as Jake Glew, who has recently been called up for England under-16s, hit the right post with a tomahawk effort.
But the Caesareans would hold on and return to the Bailiwick with their tails up.
Captain Tom Millar has been a mainstay of the Jersey side for a number of years and was “delighted” to get into the next round.
“We are delighted to be through,” he said.
“On the whole, it was actually a little bit of a scrappy performance.
“We weren’t quite as fluid as we were in the first half against Cambridge in the opening round, but it was perhaps our best half of hockey this season, which isn’t easy to replicate.
“But any team with aspirations of going on to lift a trophy, certainly in knockout sport, needs to find a way to win even when you’re not at your best.
“We did that against Ashford and that’s really pleasing to be able to dig deep in those moments.
“We got goals at crucial moments in the contest and managed to see out the game very well.
“Jamie [Watling] was a real standout player. He obviously scored the second goal, but had a brilliant game in centre midfield.
“There is plenty to work on, but we will continue to build on that ahead of welcoming Woking next month.
Jersey Hockey: Piers Brandie (GK), Joel Dudley, Jack Stevens, Tom Sibley, Pete Millar, Jamie Watling, Matt Boote, Sam Watling, Tom Bolton, Tom Millar (c), Sam Dunstan, Sam Habin, Jack Tait, Jamie Bolton.
