DAVE WALSH tasted success in his first Junior Muratti as Jersey U18s team manager at Foote’s Lane yesterday, though he wasn’t fooled by the quality of fare on display.

It wasn’t pretty, was it?’ he said after the final whistle and a giant celebratory group hug with his assistants.

But his smile confirmed that victory, secured by Craig Russell’s late, late strike, was indeed sweet.

‘The history books will record Jersey won 1-0, not the fact that good football lost out to the conditions,’ said one of the quiet men of Jersey football.

Spot on Dave.

Murattis have always been for winners and although Guernsey can point to having more clear-cut chances they were rarely any better than Jersey at mastering a strong wind and unpredictable surface.

Bumpy pitch at Foote’s Lane, that bowling green surface of 2005? Surely not.

But it certainly was, with locals, who turned out in force for the occasion, blaming the sharing of the surface with their rugby neighbours for its dodgy condition.

Despite looking excellent from the stand it was probably more of a handicap to good attractive football than the cold biting wind.

Those two factors, and the understandable nerves, made for a game of no frills – and very few thrills.

The heroes on such a day were, as you would expect, to be found in defence.

Jersey were not short in that department, with captain Joel Speight a rock on which most of Guernsey’s attacks floundered, hugely well-supported by all his defence, but Tom Wherry and Keiron Norman in particular.

Goalkeeper Greg Forster, too, erased some erratic clearances from memory with good second-half saves – two of particular note in the erratic clearances from memory with good second-half saves – two of particular note in the 71st minute when he went down low to beat away shots from Alex Le Prevost then Billy Page 20 seconds later.

Conditions had forced Walsh to change the set up of his team midway through the first half.

With Guernsey generally opting out of midfield niceties he pushed Russell up front with the battling, but heavily outnumbered Ryan Le Cornu.

It was to be a dull war of attrition, highly competitive, though never dirty, with referee Tony Sarre’s cards staying in his pocket.

It took Jersey 39 minutes to force their first corner and 51 minutes to call on Andrew Rigdon to make a fairly routine save, after Danny Flynn’s long distance effort.

Most of the visitors’ rare half chances had cleared the woodwork.

Most of the host’s far better opportunities were blocked by determined defenders in red; the most notable when Wherry’s tackle prevented Page pulling the trigger when seven metres out after 25 minutes.

The same Sarnian hit the side netting after an enterprising wall pass just before the break.

Guernsey had started by far the better, hence Walsh’s change of formation.

That change looked to have secured extra time and a likely replay before Russell came up with an added and extremely welcome bonus for his boss in the 85th minute.

An inswinging corner from Flynn on the right found Guernsey’s keeper struggling at the back of a pack of leaping defenders and attackers, including Le Cornu and Joel Speight, and when the ball fell kindly to Russell he gleefully lashed home high into the net from seven metres.

A few tense minutes later Joel Speight was collecting the Junior Inter-insular Cup and the Magpies’ FC Nino Orengo Man of Match Memorial.

Guernsey: Andrew Rigdon, Mark Ramsden, Jamie Dodd, Naro Zimmerman, Tom Strawbridge, Alex Le Prevost, Ben Coulter, Piers Ockleford (capt), Billy Page, Kris Moherndal (Danny Watts 89 min), Glyn Dyer.

Subs (not used): William Woodford, Jon Loaring, Jamie Tolcher, Jack Cowens, Tom Jenkins and Ross Elliott.

Jersey: Greg Forster, Keiron Norman, Joel Speight (capt), Tom Wherry, Pierce Cummins, Jonny Lee, Adam Speight, Craig Russell, Sean Doran, Danny Flynn, Ryan Le Cornu.

Subs (not used): David Kenyon, Matt Brookland, Darren A’Court, Luke Campbell, Aaron Maynard, Anthony Norman.

Coach: Dave Walsh.

Assistants: Dave Kennedy and Steve Proffitt.

Ref: Tony Sarre (Gsy).

Assistants: Ray Sutcliffe (Jsy), Colin Wherry (Gsy) and Neil Lunn (Gsy).