The Sarnians progressed to the last four of the EH Women’s Tier Two Plate Knockout thanks to an outstanding performance away to Blackheath & Elthamians.
Captain Lucy Waldrom led by example with a hat-trick while Teya Sheppard and Tash Symes also got on the scoresheet.
‘The girls really stepped up,’ said coach Daniel Griggs.
‘Blackheath did not really know what had hit them after the first 10 minutes – it was attack followed by attack.
‘Pressing is our strength and they found it really difficult to get out of their half, and we are so strong up front that we have always got a chance to create something. Lucy and Matilda [Bachmann] were electric on the day.’
Waldrom gave her side the lead inside those opening 10 minutes when she intercepted a home pass and went around the goalkeeper to score.
Further first-half goals followed as Sheppard smashed home from the top of the D and Symes added what Griggs described as ‘a really good centre-forward’s goal’.
Waldrom went on to complete her hat-trick in the second half while Mix Byrom was named the Island side’s player of the match for a ‘magnificent’ display according to her coach, who added that as well as earning a semi-final place, this proved a good rehearsal ahead of Saturday’s inter-insular clash.
‘From being really nervous in the warm-up, in the first 90 seconds Lucy got the ball inside the 23, attacked the D and won a short-corner and at that moment you could see the confidence grow in the team,’ Griggs said.
‘At half-time the idea was not to take our foot off the gas, but also we wanted to keep our shape and not conceded anything on the break, because that’s what we are going to have to do against Jersey.’
Guernsey will travel to Oxford Hawks next month for their Plate semi-final.
Guernsey Ladies squad: Atkinson, Bachmann, Byrom, Campbell, Castleman, Le Page, Lloyd-Jones, Mahe, McLaughlin, Sheppard, Smith, Symes, Thomas, Veillard, Waldrom.
