HONOUR was served in both camps following Saturday’s Cherry Godfrey Muratti semi-final in Alderney and as expected it is Jersey who face Guernsey to contest the famous vase on Monday, 3 May.
Two goals in each half, from Ross Crick, Chris Andrews, Chris McNabb and Dave Le Roux, were a just reward for a well-organised and focused Jersey performance against a pumped-up and dogged Alderney squad.On a pitch where close control was deceptively difficult Alderney gamely shut out Jersey for 30 minutes before the inevitable breakthrough came after several close calls and missed chances.If Alderney were aggrieved at the free-kick which pre-empted the opener (they were), they could hardly quibble over the quality of the move which followed.
The impressive and fired-up Dave Brodie fed Andrews on the right with the Jersey captain’s low cross being hit home across the impressive Paul Williams by striker Crick - his 39th goal of the season but his first for Jersey this term.Other Jersey goals could have come either side of Crick’s strike, but chances, from corner kicks in particular, were spurned, Muratti debutant Lee Bradshaw and Le Roux heading good chances past the woodwork in the opening half.Jersey had made a positive start, but some of their players were clearly nervous with a dodgy pitch, sunlight in their eyes and combative opponents giving their de fenders, in particular, little time to settle.
It was, however, to their great credit that they didn’t shrink from the job in hand but rather grew to it, a quality recognised - and demanded - by a delighted Jersey manager Dave Matthews.The first goal recorded, the result appeared virtually in the bag, as the home attack carried little threat.Almost immediately after Crick’e strike a decent-looking penalty call for a trip on Andrews was rejected by Andy Priaulx, a referee who was doing his utmost, right or wrong, to let a full-blood encounter flow without resorting to cards.
But Jersey’s second was only another four minutes away and it was again prompted by Brodie.
The lively midfielder fed Andrews who broke free of his challengers on the right of the box before lashing a shot 12 yard shot past William’s despairing left hand.The match, as a contest, was effectively over.
Yet Alderney continued to make Jersey earn every bit of possession in the second half and even went close to scoring twice, although never forcing a save from Casey Hickling, another earning his first Muratti cap.Jersey added a third just before the hour when Crick controlled well from an Andrews pass, and held off the defence long enough to lay back to McNabb who thundered in a 20-yarder inside Williams’s left-hand post.On 71 minutes McNabb was looking for his second but his effort was diverted across goal by the outrushing Williams and Le Roux gained an easy tap-in from five metres, a deserved reward for his efforts.The match was generally played in the best of spirit and all the players had earned the generous applause that came their way on the final whistle.Jersey: Casey Hickling; James Hayward, Ryan Lumsden, Lee Bradshaw, John Beatson; Chris Andrews, Dave Brodie, Chris McNabb (Ged McConnell 75), Chris Hamon; Ross Crick (Jimmy Reilly 79), David Le Roux.Subs not used: Sean McDonald, Chris Carter, Gary Freeman, Luc Le Mière and Craig Ferey.Manager: Dave Matthews, assistant Tim Houghton, physio Morag Obarska.Alderney: Paul Williams; James Maxwell, Jason Atkins, Simon Benfield, James Maxwell, William Benfield, Michael Bohan, Mathew Aldcroft, James Vizard, Kevin Gentle, Liam Davey.Subs: Nick Carré, Emile Cosheril, Martin Sebire, James McFarlane, Andrew Lawrence, James Walker and Richard Moore.Manager: Alan Adamson.Referee: Andy Priaulx.
Assistants: Paul Southcott, Andy Cox and George Jennings.
Article posted on 8th March, 2004 - 12.00am
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