JERSEY’S Capita JFA Centre of Excellence Year 9 footballers were beaten in the final of the Isle of Wight Junior Soccer Festival yesterday in Newport.

The Island youngsters topped the seven-team round-robin group with five wins and a daraw before winning their semi-final 2-0 against Sandown.

In the final they played Cowes and despite pulling back a two-goal deficit to take the match into extra time they were beaten 3-2 by stronger side who Jersey defeated in their group 1-0.

JFA president Ricky Weir, who attended, said: ‘The boys were obviously disappointed to have lost in the final but I’ve nothing but praise for them.

‘This is the first JFA initiative to send a Centre team to a tournament like this and it has proved very successful.

They were magnificent on and off the pitch and made a big impression.

‘Their manners, appearance and the professional way they have gone about things has been commented on by a lot of people.

‘They lost in the final to a physically stronger team, player-for-player Cowes’ players were two inches taller than our players.’ Jersey coach Steve Proffitt said: ‘The boys were fantastic.

Every performance they put in was good.

There attitude was first-class unlike several of the other teams who players continually swore.

‘I was even threatened running a line, yes some of the language was terrible but none of it came from out lads.

We even completed the tournament without a caution which was excellent too.’ Andrew Gee netted Jersey’s goals in the final, both headers in the closing ten minutes to force extra time only for them to concede a goal in the first extra minute to eventually lose out.

Jersey’s robin robin results were, 2-1 against Oakfield, 3-1 v Bridport Juniors, 4-1 v Sandown & Lake, 1-1 v Elmfield, 1-0 v Cowes and 3-0 v East Cowes.

Group matches were all 30 minutes with 70 minutes played in the semi-finals and final.

Centre director Dave Kennedy, who did not travel, said: ‘This is a fantastic result for our lads.

There were no expectations, it was all about development rather than results.

‘What is extremely pleasing is the boys are selected for the Centre not as a team but for a trial process to enhance their development, so, yes, they have done extremely well.’ The Year-9s, who were watched by Southampton FC scouts, were accompanied by a host of parents and Centre coaches Rob Cameron, Billy McEwan and Steve Proffitt.

Capita JFA Centre of Excellence Year-9 squad: Jamie Bowkett, Ryan Connon, Ciaran Devereux, Tom Dines, Paco Follon, Andrew Gee, Chriss Hinault, George Houzé, Lawrence Gillat, Harrison Jukes, Aidan McGuire, Joshua Richardson, Clayton Romeril, William Southall and Nick Wildman.