JERSEY squandered some good chances and then got hit by a sucker punch in an entertaining South West Counties Championship Group B one-all draw against Sussex at Springfield on Saturday.

Captain Chris Andrews controversially fired Jersey ahead in the 34th minute, the ball clearly went out for a throw-in according to both team managers, and after Jersey missed some fine second-half chances Sussex pulled a goal back ten minutes from the end.It was a bitter pill for the Jersey side to swallow as they were the better team for 75 minutes.

The visitors were kept at bay by some excellent Jersey defending but a good header finally undone the hosts as Pat Harding, who nipped ahead of his marker, levelled the scores with a rising shot from seven yards.It was Sussex’s first clear chance of the game and they took it to prevent Jersey recording a deserved second win in four matches in the group.Asked if the result felt like a defeat after playing so well, Jersey manager Dave Matthews gave a resounding: ‘No’.'The lads are disappointed and I can see why.

They played some very good football.

I felt we dominated the first half and in the end it’s an old cliché I know but if you don’t take your chances you don’t deserve to win.’We had two or three very good chances early in the second half but unfortunately we didn’t take them.’But the team can all be justifiably proud of their efforts.

They’ve worked so hard this week.

They deserved to win but it was not to be.

We have another chance in two weeks’ time against the RAF and I hope we can play as well again and win then.’Matthews praised John Beatson, who, he said, had a fine game at left back on his Island début.Sussex manager John Suter said: ‘We’re delighted with the point, it’s been a long day and getting delayed at Gatwick until 11.45 am did not help us.

But full credit to Jersey they played very well.’We had a good opening only for Jersey to come back well.

They moved the ball quicker than we did in midfield and we struggled to get hold of it.’Jersey had two good chances and our goalkeeper made two saves early in the second period.

Fortunately we were able to recover from that and finally score what was a good goal.’There is nothing to choose between all the teams in this group.

It’s a very good competition.

Two-nil last year flattered us and a draw this time is a good result as we are now top of the group.’Sussex went top, by a point, as previous leaders the Army were defeated 1-0 by Cornwall earlier in the afternoon.Jersey defended against a strong and difficult swirling wind and Sussex opened well with Simon Rowland impressive in midfield.

Rowland lifted a ball over the top of Jersey’s defence and Harding finished well but he was correctly penalised for offside.Rowland then nodded a good chance wide while Jackson failed to hit the target following a good run across the top of Jersey’s penalty area.Jersey then settled with the new central defensive partnership of Lee Bradshaw and James Hayward quelling the threat of the visitors well, both in the air and on the ground.Andrews won a good tackle on the half-way line and after exchanging a couple of passes he put in a good cross into the centre of the penalty area that just lacked the pace to find Gary Freeman who would probably have scored from ten yards.Dave Brodie was pulling all the strings for the hosts in central midfield and he had good support from Jersey Scottish team-mate Chris McNabb.

Jersey kept the ball well and passed with precision and when they didn’t have it they were quick to press Sussex into mistakes.Eleven minutes from the break Andrews broke the deadlock.

Sussex were caught waiting for an assistant’s flag to signal the ball out of play on the stand side but it never came.

The ball came in-field to Brodie and he switched play to Andrews on the right.

The skipper was in the clear and he fired Jersey into a deserved lead.Ross Crick, who was again lively in attack, then won a free kick on Jersey’s left and McNabb’s effort brought a fine save out of goalkeeper Lee Preston.Freeman and Andrews both had efforts blocked on the stroke of half time as Jersey looked to add a second.Crick missed a great chance to double Jersey’s lead in the third minute of the second half.

Latching on to a back pass, Crick took the ball round the goalkeeper and from one pace off the goal-line from six yards he rolled the ball goalwards but it went right across goal to drift past a far post.Bradshaw and Hayward both made well-time tackles to deny Sussex chances while at the other end Preston saved from a colleague with an outstretched foot.Jersey’s move of the match, involving some slick passing between Andrews, Brodie and Freeman resulted in Crick curling a shot narrowly wide.

It would have been a gem of a goal.Goalkeeper Jimmy Styles, who had a quiet afternoon, did well to keep a deflected free kick out while at the other end Andrews wasted a good chance after Crick picked him out with a super long-range pass.Sussex then struck with Harding’s goal but Jersey still created another chance, after Andrews sped goalwards from the Jersey half, only for Crick to fire straight into Preston’s body.Jersey: Jimmy Styles; James Fortune, James Hayward, Lee Bradshaw, John Beatson; Chris Andrews, Dave Brodie, Chris McNabb, Chris Hamon; Gary Freeman (Dave Le Roux, 65), Ross Crick.Sussex: Lee Preston; Neil Murfin, Barry Westgate, John Tucker, Neil Murfin; Danny Smith, Simon Rowlands, Luke Flomo, Scott Langridge; Pat Harding, Scott Tipper.