The host island showed their superior standing in the sport across all eight categories, topping it all off by dominating the Senior A match 84-18.
Coached by none other than Serena Kersten (nee Guthrie) and seriously pushing to reach England Netball’s Premier League as Jets, the sister isle's elite smothered the Sarnians’ play style and in fact widened the 36-goal gap seen last season.
It was a hard pill to swallow for Guernsey director of netball Sally Carns, who also lost influential players Abby McCracken and Tillie Graham to knee injuries in the fray. But she continues to look at the bigger picture.
‘Jersey is not normally a team our players would play against or meet in any competition,’ she said.
‘They are looking to go into national Premier League, and we are still near our starting point of our performance plan with the seniors in this new era.
‘It took me a while – I was upset, and I was disappointed for the girls that we could not close the gap with those scorelines.
‘But Jersey were next-level in that Senior A game.’
Although the devout netball fan was awed by Jersey’s elite, she did praise the attitude shown by her own side, adding: ‘Our players kept their heads and we did not give up.
‘That shows a lot of tenacity and bravery and passion.’
Jersey also widened last year’s relatively tight scoreline in the Senior B, which they won 63-27, and reclaimed the veterans’ prize by triumphing 71-20 against a new-look Sarnian side.
Carns had set other goals, which were not score-related, through the matches, and her players did often meet them.
Ultimately, the biggest investments since she came in as head coach two years ago have been in junior netball.
And the U19s definitely held their own in a match where the 62-42 scoreline did not tell the full story.
The young Panthers play regularly in South U19 Division Two and used their regional experience to blitz quarter one, which they won 16-10.
‘We had an amazing first quarter,’ U19s coach Donna Brehaut said.
‘The intensity and the way the girls were playing, that’s the best I have ever seen them play.
‘They really took the game to Jersey. It was going to be difficult for them to maintain that throughout – credit to Jersey.’
The hosts responded forcefully by adapting and stepping up their game, taking the lead deep into quarter two. Guernsey were forced to change their tactics.
Reverting to their starting line-up in the final quarter allowed Guernsey to at least see the game out strongly.
Brehaut was actually quite pleased to finish no more than 20 goals off.
‘I’m really proud of the girls and what it does prove is that the regional set-up works for us.
‘We’ve had a tough regional year ... but we’re getting better as the season goes on.
‘Having the girls playing regional-level netball has really helped.’
The ever-improving Erin Le Huray earned an individual player of the match nomination after having the ‘game of her life’ in the defensive circle alongside McKenzie Rich.
Frankie Savident also excelled in disrupting the Jersey centre court.
Additionally, U12 Caletta Hern and U11 captain Rosie Le Page shared in the POM glory for their respective matches.
Jersey had won the U16s match 54-24, the U14s 51-16, the U12s 39-12 and the U11s 31-5.
Scorelines aside, Guernsey put in a very commendable cheerleading performance in the sister isle, with Carns thankful for the level of support shown.
‘We turned Jersey green. Shout out to our eighth man – our travelling support.’
Guernsey’s seniors are targeting a potential return to Panthers action next season. A representative side will travel for Netball South’s open play-offs in Portsmouth on 18 May.
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