Elizabeth College aiming to make GFA Cup history

If they beat Indies, EC will play in their first FA Cup semi-final and both have the opportunity to be the first non-Priaulx team to play a semi-final since 2021.

‘It’d be huge. I know there are perhaps fewer rounds than there have been in the past, but College haven’t been to a semi-final,’ said EC head of football Chris du Feu.

‘It’s been quite a number of years since a non-Priaulx team has made it to the semi-final, which of course will happen, then it’s a fairly daunting prospect for either of us to face one of the top two or three Priaulx sides.

‘We had a friendly against Vale Rec this year and that really highlighted to the boys the difference in ability between some of the teams we play and some that we can play, but we’re eager and we’re keen and we want that opportunity.

‘We want the opportunity to play in that kind of centrepiece game, if you like. For College it would be amazing.'

• Hear more from College head of football Chris du Feu and captain Jack Becker on this week’s Guernsey Press Football Podcast

EC lost a friendly to Indies earlier in the season, but du Feu is hoping a few squad changes will ‘close the gap’ between the sides.

‘You’re playing against adults, we’re a junior team and it will be about organisation, you have to compete physically, we’ll stick to our game plan, play our football and we do have a chance,’ he said.

Tonight’s game is set to be a big occasion for the students.

‘It is a bit of a local derby in the sense that they use the College Field for their fixtures,’ said du Feu.

‘It’s magic for College football because we get great coverage and it’s a real swell of interest in football around school. The number of people that I think are going to come and support is increasing game upon game. It’s been great for College football.

‘The first XI this year have been magic. Their commitment and their approach the game, the desire to put things from the training ground and from half-time onto the pitch has been good to see. There’s been some real improvements.’

Midfielder Jack Becker, who will be leading out the EC First XI, said he was looking forward to their quarter-final, and building on what has been a busy season.

‘It is a big honour to be the captain of this squad. I think Friday is going to be a really nice occasion. I think quite a lot of people will come down and watch from the school, which will be nice to have. And I’m really hoping we win,’ he said.

‘There’s been a lot more [fixtures] this season actually. We started off with a friendly against GFC, we lost 2-0, but it was actually quite promising at the start. They’re a really good side and we hadn’t played together before.'

Results for the College in the Under 18 Channel Islands League have been inconsistent, and the season still has not finished, with postponed fixtures still to be rearranged.

Before Christmas the squad had a trip to Barcelona.

'That was a really good experience, really different over there, actually – a lot less physical,' said Becker.

'A big eye-opener for us as a team and probably one of our best performances in our second game over there.

‘Then we came back and started our FA Cup journey first round against Rangers. And now we’ve got Indies on Friday.

'So it’s been really good and we’ve played a lot more games this year, which has been really nice.’

Kick off is at 7.45pm on the 3G.

Also in FA Cup, Sylvans host Rovers tomorrow in the first round and the winners will play North Veterans, leaders of the Veterans League, with several former GFC players in their ranks, in the quarter-finals. Kick off is at 2pm at St Peter’s.

• In Wednesday night’s first-round ties, St Martin’s beat Vale Rec Division Two 4-0 and Rovers Seconds beat St Martin’s Veterans 6-0.