Mark De Luca and Tony Hoyland’s under-11 side beat Chiltern 1-0 at the FB Fields this morning to following victories in the previous two matches – both 2-1 against Orpington and Thurrock.
Said De Luca after this morning’s match: ‘John Tardivel scored the only goal today midway through the first half, it was a competitive game between two good teams.
‘Goalkeeper Ryan Le Couteur made some important saves for us today but the defence also played well with some good headed clearances.
‘It was slippery underfoot and we played well in the conditions.’ Tardivel has scored in all Jersey’s games with Sam Crabtree also on target in the victories against Orpington on Sunday and Thurrock yesterday.
De Luca said: ‘We played well against Orpington, we were well-drilled and a lot of the tactical things Tony and I have worked on came out in the game.
‘That was very pleasing and everything went to plan.
John took his goal well after drifting in from the right and he could have hit a hat-trick.
‘Sam Crabtree bundled the ball over the goal-line for his goal and although Orpington pulled a goal back we finished strongly.’ Yesterday the same two marksmen scored again, Crabtree nodding Jersey ahead and Tardivel placing a great shot into a corner from distance after taking on and beating his marker.
De Luca added: ‘First half we were magnificent and that was against a team who have won 13 of their 14 matches this season.
‘It really was a fantastic team effort and in the first half we dominated.
Thurrock did hit the crossbar towards the end of the first half and in the second period we were under pressure.
‘But we held firm, we cleared two chances off our goal-line and we turned in a very determined display to hold out.
‘We came strong again at the finish and we could have scored again.’ Jersey’s squad players have also been playing for the Festival XI, a team put together daily to make the numbers equal in each group.
Jersey play Newbury B tomorrow, kick-off 11.15 am.
Jersey squad: Ryan Le Couteur, Charlie Hubert, Scott Clayton, Mathew Rondel, Calvin Weir, Charlie Petulla, Bradley Stratford, Elliott Poole, Jamie Mourant, Sam Crabtree, Marco Harrison-Zocchi, Ryan de Gruchy, John Tardivel, Norman Carroll, Kieron Brennan and Asher Moyse.
Group A (Sunday): South Birmingham 1, Newbury A 1; Plymouth 2, Hackney 2; Gloucester 1, Barking 0.
Monday: Festival XI 1, South Birmingham 7; Barking 3, Newbury A 1; Gloucester 3, Hackney 0.
Today: Thurrock 0, Bath 1; Chiltern 0, Jersey 1; Sutton Coldfield 1, Newbury B 1.
Group B (Sunday): Jersey 2, Orpington 1; Thurrock 4, Sutton Coldfield 1; Chiltern 4, Bath 2.
Monday: Newbury B 1, Chiltern 7; Bath 1, Orpington 1; Thurrock 1, Jersey 2.
Inter-group (Sunday): Festival XI 3, Newbury B 3.
Monday: Plymouth 1, Sutton Coldfield 2.
