Greens blow away plucky Ridunians in second half

Blown away could have been a more apt description in winds touching force seven, but the home side battled valiantly, keeping the game to 0-0 at half-time before Charlton Gauvain again inspired Guernsey to take the game away in the second period.

Gauvain scored twice, the first just four minutes after the restart, and the second a header from a long throw on the hour, before Keene Domaille and Matt Loaring both scored inside 90 seconds in the last 10 minutes.

But Alderney did have the satisfaction of scoring their first goal against Guernsey for nearly 20 years, with substitute Rio Bowditch, qualifying for the northern isle through a grandparent and just a week after playing for Guernsey in the Junior Muratti, firing home a late consolation.

• Hear reaction from both camps on this week’s Guernsey Press Football Podcast

‘Getting the job done was the bottom line, but I really enjoyed watching them play today,’ said Guernsey co-coach Ryan-Zico Black, who had his fellow coach Dave Merris playing the full game at left back.

‘With the wind, not many teams would have broken them down [in the first half], but we played as good a football as I thought we could play. We were trying to do the right things, trying to play, but it was really difficult.

‘We didn’t try to force it and play long balls, we were really patient and that impressed me.’

Alderney coach Alan Adamson was back in the Muratti dugout after a few years away.

‘I thought we played quite well, but the weather played a massive part in the game and I don’t think it helped us,’ he said.

‘Our aim was to stay in the game but they are obviously a quality team. We competed well, I can’t ask for any more from the players, they battled and fought, they’ve done everything we asked of them.’

Guernsey go on to the Muratti final at Springfield in Jersey on Saturday 18 May, seeking a first win in the final since 2017.