Tower, who threatened to run riot after scoring three times in the opening eight minutes, were comfortable throughout – no surprise as eight of their starting line-up are currently in Jon Welsh’s Junior Island squad.An impressive crowd of around 250, given the atrocious weather, saw Tower cruise into a 5-0 half-time lead before then being held at bay by a much-improved Wanderers.
Daryn Noble’s side kept their shape and discipline well in the second half.Peter Vincenti, almost apologetically, after he looked to be in an offside position, shot Tower ahead from a few metres inside three minutes.
A minute later Justin Cotillard made it 2-0 when he firmly planted a header into the goal after Ryan Durand beat his marker out on Tower’s left before delivering a quality cross.Minutes later it was 3-0 when Durand stroked the ball low inside an upright following a bout of first-time passing by several of Tower’s midfielders.Wanderers were shell-shocked but full credit to them as they could well have caved in but they did not.
They passed the ball well and in young Stevie Reid, on the right, they had a good outlet as the diminutive tricky forward held the ball up well and displayed a good awareness of what was going on around him.Wanderers’ Jordan Rea crashed a terrific shot into the underside of goalkeeper Jack Jouanny’s crossbar and in the next attack at the other end of the pitch Scott Goldhawk created space for himself before drilling a shot against the foot of a Wanderers post.Wanderers goalkeeper Jason Olver gifted Tower their fourth when he missed David Syvret’s cross from the left.
Soon after Neil Crowell, prominent for Wanderers, was denied by a goal-line clearance from Bradley Russell and then Tower added a fifth through Nathan Maguire’s penalty kick, again after a quick break when Durand touched the ball into Maguire’s path after a 35-yard pass into his feet by Vincenti.Wanderers regrouped well for the second half and Olver made up for his earlier error with two fines saves to deny substitute Daniel Parry.’Tower were deserved winners there was no doubt about that,’ said Wanderers manager Daryn Noble.’They are a very strong side and probably the best in their age-group in the Channel Islands.’In the end I was very pleased with our performance.
We are a young side and we could well have taken a hiding after conceding three early goals.
But full credit to the players they recovered brilliantly.
It’s a good experience for them to play at Springfield and with us only losing three players I hope they can come back next season and go one step further.’Jersey Wanderers: Jason Oliver; John Searle, Steven Lawrence, Neil Crowell, Stevie Reid, Jordan Rae, Tim de Luca, Daniel Huddlestone, Jack McKenna, Karl Stoodley, Oliver Thompson.
Subs used: Ryan Ward, Dave Cooper and Joe Brady.First Tower: Jack Jouanny; Sam Dewhurst, Tom Poole, Nathan Jégou, David Syvret, Scott Goldhawk, Peter Vincenti, Justin Cotillard, Bradley Russell, Nathan Maguire, Ryan Durand.
Subs used: Ben Ahier, Daniel Parry, Gavin Toudic.Officials: Steve Proffitt, Andy Cox, Jim Machon.
Fourth official Mark Brophy.
