Guernsey Press

WATCH: Rovers book their place in Jeremie Cup final

ROVERS moved a step closer to making history last night.

Published
Jake Stephens celebrates scoring the first goal for Rovers on his debut on Wednesday night at Blanche Pierre Lane. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin, 29369781)

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.