Guernsey women beat Jersey to retain Muratti Vase

Two quickfire goals from Calleigh Hedley saw Guernsey's women come from behind to beat Jersey 2-1 and retain the Muratti Vase for the first time in 24 years.

The win added to Guernsey FC's title in this season's Jersey women's league as the Sarnians' resurgence in the fixture continues.

The fixture between the sides only returned in 2022 after Guernsey were unable to field a side between 2018 and 2021.

The victory in the first senior inter-island game at Guernsey's new Victoria Park ground meant the hosts retained the title for the first time since 2001 - when they won for the fifth successive time.

Having started the game brighter Guernsey went behind midway through the first half as Sam Silva got on the end of Tiff Sundby's cross as the hosts appealed for a foul on goalkeeper Emma Queripel.

Soon after Chloe Ingrouille drew a fine save from Jersey's Ana Malta as Guernsey searched for an equaliser.

They could have been 2-0 down after 29 minutes, but Queripel kept her side in it as she saved Aine Ruth's penalty after the Guernsey goalkeeper had brought down the Jersey forward.

Guernsey upped the pressure after the break, forcing Malta into a fine 52nd-minute save.

But Hedley levelled two minutes later as she beat two players to break through on goal before calmly finding the bottom corner.

Three minutes later the Guernsey striker scored again as she rounded Malta and slotted into the empty net.

Guernsey lost Queripel to injury with 15 minutes left and two minutes later lost her replacement Kayleigh Marquis after she was hurt as Jersey's Holly Muirhead and Emily le Page scrambled home what they thought was an equaliser, but the referee ruled it out for handball in the build-up.

It meant debutant midfielder Jess Frampton went in goal, and the hosts almost made it 3-1 during 11 minutes of stoppage time as Candice Bougourd hit the crossbar with a free-kick in the 95th minute before Donna Gallienne forced a save from Malta soon after.

Guernsey manager Anna Gauvain told BBC Radio Guernsey:

"I'm over the moon.

"Right from the start it was really intense, so I'm just so chuffed for everybody that's worked so hard for today.

"Emma saved the penalty so that was our lesson to go and punish them, because if that had happened again it maybe would have been a different story.

"But we dug deep, we held in there and I can't fault the girls at all, it was a really good effort."

Jersey head coach Chad Morris told BBC Radio Jersey:

"I'm disappointed. I thought we did more than enough to at least be at 2-2 at the end of the game.

"I'm not sure what the disallowed goal was for, which would have made it 2-2, but we could have been into extra time - all we saw was a scramble on the goal line and it going in.

"That was a turning moment and I thought we got in a lot of good positions high up the pitch out wide where we put some decent balls in.

"But you can see they play together, I think they might be up to 18 or 19 games this season, which is a lot to play together, and you could see that.

"You could see the cohesion of a squad of 20 or 25 that play regularly together, it's a big advantage."