ST OUEN’S footballers completed a memorable trophy hat-trick when they bettered Guernsey St Martin’s in a penalty shootout to lift the WJ Collins Cup at The Track yesterday afternoon.
‘Clearly it was a very close game and an end of season thing as both sides hadn’t played for a few weeks,’ said St Martin’s assistant coach Glyn Smith. ‘We had 65% of the possession, created two or three chances but they had two breakaway goals. And full credit to them, they were hungry.’
After a minute silence was observed for St Martin’s stalwart Noel Gardener the match got under way at a ferocious tempo with both teams not afraid to get stuck in.
The Jersey Coca-Cola Combination Division II league and cup double winners were particularly geed up by their loud travelling support.
And they were in full cheer on 22 minutes of play when a tackle-cum-clearance from their centre back Rob Sanford saw the ball hoofed up the pitch for striker Martyn Sansom to latch onto before tucking it into the corner of the St Martin’s goal.
At the other end, St Ouen’s keeper Danny Caunce was in inspired form as he pulled off a spectacularly one handed save to deny Ben Coulter.
But he was responsible for the Guernsey side’s equaliser when just before half time, he brought Jason Winch down in the area.
Chris Mauger had little problems putting the penalty away.
St Martin’s proceeded to rule the roost in the second half and had a number of opportunities to score but they just could not hit the target.
They eventually took the lead with 15 minutes to go.
Winch had hit the cross bar with a sweet free kick and in the scuffle on the rebound, Chris Le Noury’s effort was put behind by St Ouen captain Peter Duffy.
But from the resulting corner, Le Noury did find manage to find the back of the net when Caunce under pressure dropped the ball and the winger tucked it in.
There were a number of cries from the Jersey players that their keeper had been infringed. But two minutes later, they were cheered up, as somewhat against the run of play, substitute Scott Quarell beat the off side trap to lob the ball over Pattimore.
The full time whistle was blown minutes later and as St Ouen had a boat home to catch, the match went straight to penalties.
And for a second time in a week following Monday’s Muratti, a Guernsey team were on the losing side of a penalty shootout as St Ouen converted all five of theirs while Mauger missing the target with Saints’ first effort, proved to be their downfall.
St Ouen S&FC: Caunce; Duffy, Springs, Sanford, Norman; Evans (Quarrell 64), Richardson, Parker, Cranford (Craven 72), S Sansom; M Sansom (Andrade 84).
Coaches: Peter Flambard and Danny Craven.
Article posted on 10th May, 2008 - 8.50am
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