GUERNSEY ATHLETICS
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2010 Stranger Cup Final
Tom Jenkins shows off the magnificent W. Stranger Memorial Cup
SURE we weren’t great, but it says nothing about the quality of performance when you look at the cup.
And take a good look at the wonderful old Stranger Cup – old William certainly didn’t hold back with the cash when he donated this one to the GFA in 1906 – it really is a fantastic piece of silverware to win.
This is the fourth time Tics have won the trophy and with the win at the Corbet Field it completes a successful re-birth of one of Guernsey’s oldest and proudest clubs.
Let’s just go on and make it a long-lasting sporting project that the men who set up Athletics 100 plus years ago would be proud of.
This was reward fot a season’s endeavour on and off the field for the new Tics.
Whether it was the weather or the fact that it was a largely inexperienced side who were playing in front of a sizeable audience for the first time and seemingly playing with a footall kmore reminiscent of a beach ball, but the fact is thatour side did not play at all well and you could not help but feel for the losing management team of Clive Bateman and Colin Renouf, who prepared their side well and on chances should have won the game.
The winning goal came just five minutes from the end of normal time and in a dire tie played on a hard and bumpy pitch, there was no way back for Sylvans after Craig Farnham struck with a clinical poke between keeper Ashley Willams legs.
It was a good finish by the former Saints striker who had been freed by a neat little pass by substitute Tom Jenkins who, having finally beaten the volcanic ash flight problems and got into the island that morning, had turned his marker and put his colleague in at close range.
While delighted with the result and to end the season with silverware, Tics boss Steve Ogier was not getting carried away by the win, knowing full well as he did that this was one of his team’s least effective showings of the campaign.
‘Today was a poor game and either side could have won and luckily for the bored spectators ‘Gramps’ scored so it did not have to go into extra-time.’
We were poor today. We dominated the first half without creating anything. The second half they were the better side and we got away with it.
‘But, in our first season, it’s nice to win something. Well done lads, you have responded well to Kevin and me this year.’
The fact that the Rex Bennet Memorial Trophy man-of-the-match award went to our young keeper Tim Creed was further indication as to where the little goalmouth action lay.
Creed, who has steadily improved this campaign – which is what we are here for remember – made a couple of very good saves with the game still goalless and while Ashley Williams, his opposite number, also had a good game, he was never force into making important stops.
It may have been that both sides were slightly overawed to be appearing in a final, because neither unit played as well as they had in disposing strong opposition in reaching the final.
The pitch did not help nervy players either and, sadly, there was little width in the game.
Sylvans were hit by the absence of suspended top-scorer Wayne Bishop and the unavailable Tom Duff, but stand-in frontman Lee Renouf almost put Sylvans who had arrived at the ground by coach, ahead with a far-post header after just seven minutes.
Tics found Ricky Moore at left-back as their best outlet, but they first threatened through Gus Mackay who, on the stretch, hit his shot on Farnham’s pass a yard or so wide.
Etienne Le Prevost then sliced a half-chance wide but it was a game of very little action in the final third.
Thankfully, the second half was to produce more incident but after an early second-half scare for Sylvans when Williams struggled to keep out an in-swinging ball in from Moore swung in from the left touchline and which asked a lot more questions than you expected it to, Sylvans got on top and should have scored.
On 48min.Creed saved his side with a fine block from Brady Lesbirel after Ben Duff had allowed the makeshift striker to get in behind him.
Krois Moherndl then blasted over a half-chance and then it was Lesbirel’s turn to fire a chance far too high.
At the other end Mackay curled a 20-yard free-kick a yard over but it was Sylvans who were enjoying the upperhand and Creed did very well to save from Renouf on 67 and then Aaron Ferbrache volleyed wide.
But coming closer than anyone was Matt Le Prevost who struck Creed’s right-hand post two-thirds the way up with a fine strike.
Creed saved again from Le Prevost’s outstretched prod, but by now the double introduction of Tom Jenkins and Jacques Ogier was starting to worry Sylvans’ back line, Jenkins with his skill and hold up play, Ogier with his scary pace which he and some colleagues claimed to have won a penalty for being pulled down in the box.
It would have been a soft penalty and the excellent Matt Walsh was right to reject the claims, but he did nothing of the sort when with extra-time probable Jenkins put in Farnham for that late winner.
As you might expect the side celebrated long and hard after the final whistle.
As for our excellent coaching and medical team, they could enjoy a well-earned drink at the end of a tiring season.
Athletics are back and you had better believe it.
Teams:
Sylvans; Williams, Stanley, Roland, Hewlett, Smith; Ferbrache, Moherndl, Le Prevost, Green (Melrose 86); Renouf (Mussard 89), Lesbirel (Galliene 86).
Athletics: Creed, Le Tocq, Duff, Gallie, Moore; Wiltshire, Mackay, L. Graham, Le Prevost (Ogier); Marquand (Jenkins 55), Farnham.
Subs unused: Ashplant, Le Huray, K. Graham.
Referee: M. Walsh.
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