THE predatory instincts of Jersey Scottish’s Ross Crick won what will probably be remembered as the decisive match in the Coca-Cola Championship race at Les Quennevais last night.

An exciting, open game that second-placed Grouville desperately needed to win was put beyond them by the Island forward’s far-post strikes in either half.

Sandwiched in between, just before the half-time whistle, came a dramatic Scott Devlin header.

Three goals down, rather harshly, Grouville did come back well in the final quarter, through Jason Bingham and Luc Le Mière, but Scottish had done enough to earn the victory – and a 12-point lead.

One more point from their remaining two games will ensure the title.

Grouville will point to the woodwork that Alan Jefferies rattled in the first half and another that he thrashed wide from the edge of the box on the restart, but the clinical finishing of Crick, allied to good midfield displays from junior Jack Boyle, Luke Watson and Lee Burns, in particular, saw Scottish through, though manager Pat Brennan later described their display as ‘a bit scrappy at times’.

Paul Duxbury provided a long cross from the left for Crick to side-foot home after seven minutes, and though Grouville responded well, their hopes suffered a major blow just before the break, Devlin’s bullet header from Burns’ cross, again from the left, left Hickling with no chance.

And when the best pure footballing move of the night, involving Watson then a beautifully-paced low cross from the right by Boyle, set up Crick’s second, the game looked up for Grouville.

The easterner’s Ian Horswell, desperately disappointed with the result, was more than happy with his side’s response, which had Jason Bingham power a header past Gareth Bayley, then Le Miére lash home from 15 yards when put through by Liam Walshe’s header.

‘We showed great character in coming back like that,’ said Horswell, ‘and overall I thought we were the better team in an open match.

But it’s their title now.

We’re all disappointed, but we’ve got cup action to look forward to – it’s a big ask to win all four matches and I think Scottish will get the point they need anyway.

They have some excellent players.’ A combative match produced three yellows, for Burns, Northedge and Boyle, but had a pleasingly sporting feel to it that a sparse crowd of around 80 will have appreciated ‘We’ll have to make a pig’s ear of it not to win the title now,’ admitted Brennan, whose side’s next game is a Jeremie Cup semi away to Guernsey Northerners.

Grouville: Casey Hickling, John Kiersey, Peter Hall, Russell Le Feuvre, Craig Northedge, Jason Bingham, Luc Le Miére, Liam Walshe, Alan Jefferies, Peter Worrall, Chris Carter.

Subs: Rob Cameron, Nelio Marote, Richard Stevens.

Jersey Scottish: Gareth Bayley, Lee Burns, Paul Duxbury, Scott Devlin, Craig Ferey, Ryan Lumsden, Luke Watson, Ross Crick, Jack Boyle, Paul Aitken, James Scott.

Subs: Ali Santos, Callum Brennan, Rueben Legge.

Officials: Ian Solomon, Chris Gouyette, Neil Giannoni.