LISTEN: ‘Part of the journey’ towards Games goal

It will be the first time the fixture has been played since 2016 due to the Sarnians being forced to pull out in the following years due to a lack of players – and the pandemic meant the two islands could not meet in the proposed 2020 fixture.

Jersey won the last Women’s Muratti 9-0 and have emerged victorious in 14 of the last 15 fixtures in the competition, as Guernsey search for a first inter-island win since 2008.

‘It is a massive thing, to be able to go away and play a team from another island is just what we need at the moment,’ said head coach Sutton on the Guernsey Press Sport Podcast.

‘We have played plenty of domestic football and now is the time to see where we have got to and how much progress we have made, especially with the Island Games being next year.

‘I think we have walked them through what they can expect. We will hold various team meetings ahead of the fixture.

‘Watching the men’s game on Saturday will also give them a good idea of what they can expect the next day.’

Listen to a full preview of the Women's Muratti in a Guernsey Press Football Podcast Muratti special:

This year’s fixture follows the launch of a first domestic league since 2016, where players were split into three teams under the Guernsey Ladies FC banner.

It was the first structured football played since the Condor Ferries Channel Islands League, launched in September 2019 but cancelled due to the first Covid lockdown in March 2020. At that tune GLFC and Northerners were playing but North have since folded.

'For me the goal is the Island Games next year. My mission is to get out of our group and this Jersey game is an important part of that journey,’ said Sutton.

‘We want to get a regular Channel Islands League going again and see where we can go.

‘We have a lot of youngsters coming through showing promise, there are some more 15-year-olds coming through for next year so it is a really exciting time for sure.

‘The squad is very much based on performances in the local league, picking players who have shone and stood out. We have had a training squad and we’re now finalising the final squad and we definitely have a good blend of youth and experience.

‘We have probably lost some players who would have played in 2020 if it went ahead that would have offered a lot of valuable experience, however we also have a lot of youngsters who are fresh and ready for a challenge, so it is definitely a balance.’

Guernsey will be boosted by the inclusion of the experienced Katie Watson, who returns to the squad as captain after missing out in 2016.

‘Richard Sutton got me back involved initially to coach, but Covid hit and then I started playing again,’ the skipper told the Guernsey Press Sport Podcast. ‘I think I can still offer something to the team, so I am back involved.

‘It could definitely be the start of a new era. We have a lot of girls who are coming through the academy, too, which is great for the future.

‘First and foremost we want to go over and be competitive. I would absolutely say that Jersey will be the favourites, they’re probably two or three years ahead of us – but every underdog has their day.

‘My advice to the youngsters playing in their first Muratti would just be to play with confidence, enjoy the occasion and show everybody what you can do.’