Alford keeps the run going with rare goal

Guernsey 1sts 1, Jersey 1sts 0

ANDY ALFORD scored the most the important goal of his career as Guernsey ended a day of mixed fortunes for the home island at Foote's Lane on a big high. Midfielder Alford admitted surprise that his 40th-min. shot from a short corner hit the back boards, but he was mightily glad that it did on an afternoon when the home side were forced back for lengthy periods and Jersey went home feeling a little hard done by.

'It was aimed at the back post and luckily squeezed under the keeper,' said the match-winner after the final whistle.

'I didn't know it had gone in to be honest,' added the infrequent scorer.

It was Guernsey's fourth straight win in the men's first XI contest and was certainly one that they had to chisel out with hard work.

Jersey had plenty of the ball and in the closing moments thought they had equalised from a short corner, but goalkeeper Andy Good made a stupendous one-handed save to deny a goalbound flick.

Only a few minutes earlier visiting skipper Bill Aston had the ball in the net following another short, but the umpires came to Guernsey's rescue and the goal was scrubbed out for an indiscretion.

Coach Nick Mahy had no problem with winning ugly.

'A win's a win,' he said.

'Often in these games it is down to appetite and we defended well and attacked with pace.

'We had the appetite to keep them out.'

Jersey started very brightly and Guernsey did not help their cause by regularly conceding possession as they tried to build from the back.

On 10min., Nathan Maguire shot inches wide with the game's first big chance, while it took 24min. for young David Morris to produce the greens' first attempt, a shot into the nearpost sideboard.

TJ Ozanne, who had picked up an early green card warning and then a yellow sin-bin penalty late in the game, forced a sprawling save from visiting keeper Garret O'Brien, but the half ended with Good making a great stop from Mark Dicker's chest-high flick from a short corner

Guernsey started the second half with Jonathan Wilkes-Green on up front on the right and before long they also gave an opportunity fo another youngster in Ollie Richards.

Guernsey looked more of a threat and the half was just five minutes old when, from a short on the left, Damien Wallen stopped Rob Newton's push from the line and Alford squeezed a far-from-screeching shot into the goal. O'Brien will have been disappointed not to have kept it out.

Jersey worked hard for an equaliser, but with Tristan Cairns and Tony Veillard steadfast and composed at the back for the greens, it never came.

Guernsey Women 1sts 0, Jersey Women 1sts 6

I SPOKE too soon.

Thirteen minutes into a scrappy and even first-team women's match, the reporter remarks: 'This game has got nil-nil written all over it.'

Nothing had happened up until that point but, 10 seconds later, Sarah Kerley shot Jersey ahead after poor defending by the home side and thereafter the superior, quicker, more skilful Caesareans did not look back.

By half-time they were cruising at 2-0 and at no time did the home side threaten to hit back, such was the dominance of the impressive visitors who had the game's outstanding players, in particular, official player of thematch, Becky Dart.

Guernsey coach Andy Whalley was happy to acknowledge Jersey's superior skills but thought the margin flattered the visitors.

'Jersey played very well but six is a little bit harsh on us.

'Their work rate in midfield and tackling won the battle. It was close for 10 to 15 minutes but they were quicker all-round the pitch,' he added.

Opposite number Helen Wiseman was surprised by the ease of it.

'It was a lot more than I expected.

'I'd have been happy with just two.

'Becky Dart and Becky Slater were outstanding for us today,' said the coach, who remarked that being able to field virtually an unchanged team from last year had helped her task.

After Kerley's opener, Nina Driscoll poached a second from a yard out and they threatened more before the half-time whistle gave Guernsey a welcome chance to collect their thoughts.

But the reds were even more dominant after the break and the impressive left-winger Chrissy Hefford made it 3-0 before the goal of the game, a fantastic reverse-stick slap by Slater high into the net.

The final two goals in the closing minutes were both scrappy affairs, Dart netting the fifth and Lisa Phillips the final one.

Earlier, Jo Bell had scored the only goal of the game as the home seconds won their encounter 1-0.