WATCH: Rovers book their place in Jeremie Cup final

The Port Soif-outfit have never won the Jeremie Cup, but now they are just one win away from lifting the prestigious 119-year-old silverware after seeing off Northerners 2-1 at Blanche Pierre Lane to set up a June final with St Martin’s.

Kevin Gillease’s men endured a few late wobbles, especially after substitute Luke Mollet had hammered home a powerful drive to halve the deficit in the 90th minute, but on the balance of play there was no doubt the blue-and-whites deserved to progress and did so thanks to goals from Jake Stephens and Fin Whitmore either side of half-time.

Rovers, who started with new signing Stephens playing to the right of Whitmore in a front three with Carlos Canha on the other side, dominated possession and territory in the first 20 minutes without creating a clear-cut chance with Whitmore’s acrobatic overhead kick, which drifted wide, their one effort of note.

North were restricted to a couple of corners which were invitingly delivered by Simon Marley but no-one could apply the finish.

On the half-hour, Rovers made the breakthrough.

With North appealing for a foul by James Grundy in midfield but referee George Jennings having none of it, the Rovers midfielder fed Whitmore out on the right and his left-footed cross took a slight deflection off a defender which helped it loop into the six-yard box where Stephens nodded home his first goal for the club.

It stayed that way until half-time and shortly after the interval Blair Howitt had a golden opportunity to double the lead but sliced his shot wide from close range.

It was no surprise, though, that Rovers did conjure a second goal midway through the half with Howitt the instigator this time.

He released Martyn Savident down the left and the fleet-footed substitute squared the ball for Whitmore to guide home from a couple of yards.

It was only then that North started to play and, as the game approached stoppage time, in a frantic passage of action Joe Alvarez chipped in a cross that Keene Domaille headed onto a post then the initial follow-up was blocked by a flying Tom Strawbridge before the ball fell to Mollet outside the area and he made no mistake with a fierce drive that Adam Bullock could not keep out.

However, North could not muster an equaliser in the final couple of minutes and Rovers can add Saints on Saturday 5 June at the Track to their fixture list.