Played in extremely hot conditions, Jersey were unfortunate to have been handed the toughest draw of the tournament, facing Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, London (eventual champions), Shropshire and North Wales. Every team we played finished in the top half of the competition, making our 7th-place finish overall a brilliant achievement.
The squad showed incredible resilience, determination and team spirit throughout.
A special mention goes to Amy Guthrie, who was outstanding in goal, keeping her composure under relentless pressure and making a string of superb saves, particularly defending multiple short corners.
Amelie Herne was immense, providing a commanding presence through the middle of the pitch and covering huge ground in both defence and attack. She was superbly supported in central midfield by Megan Jerrard and Isla Rafferty, who worked tirelessly throughout the tournament, while Addison Barclay and Lola Hotton provided stability in defence and were instrumental in creating attacking opportunities with some excellent play down the wings.
In defence, Captain Mollie McKeon and Kate Follain marshalled the back line superbly, helping Jersey stay competitive against some exceptional attacking sides
Further forward, Phoebe James created several key opportunities, providing two excellent assists during the tournament and providing a constant threat driving down the right wing.
Up front, Tallulah Spry was a constant threat, showcasing her blistering pace, skilful attacking play and clinical finishing to finish as Jersey’s top scorer with four goals across the tournament. Alongside her, Lucy Kirby, Farrah Firby and Anais McDermott formed an energetic and exciting attacking unit. Lucy’s outstanding athleticism saw her cover a lot of ground, Farrah’s pace and direct running continually tested opposition defences, while Anais’ intelligent movement and link-up play helped bring the forward line together. Their understanding caused problems throughout the tournament, with Lucy and Farrah each scoring two goals and Anais also deservedly finding the net
It was also a memorable first County Championship experience for our younger players Lexi Edwards, Khloe Kingham, Freya Thorogood and Hannah Follain. Each embraced the opportunity, earned valuable pitch time and made meaningful contributions throughout the tournament. They all represented Jersey with confidence and determination, gaining invaluable experience that will stand them in great stead for the future.
Goalscorers
Tallulah Spry – 4 goals (top scorer)
Farrah Firby – 2 goals
Lucy Kirby – 2 goals
Anais McDermott – 1 goal
Results and scorers:
Jersey 2-1 Berkshire – Lucy Kirby, Farrah Firby
Jersey 3-2 Cambridgeshire – Tallulah Spry (2), Farrah Firby
Jersey 1-5 London – Lucy Kirby
Jersey 0-2 Oxfordshire
Jersey 3-1 Shropshire – Tallulah Spry (2), Anais McDermott
Jersey 0-2 Surrey
Jersey 0-0 North Wales
securing 7th place overall.
Most importantly, the girls represented Jersey with pride, worked tirelessly for one another and gained invaluable experience competing against the very best county teams in England.
A huge thank you to our sponsors Walkers, Jersey Sport Travel fund and our coaches, supporters and families for everything they did to make the trip possible.
Congratulations to every player on a fantastic championship. The future of Jersey Hockey looks incredibly bright.
Lead Coach, Michael James summed up the tournament; “Having coached this talented group of girls all the way through from U14’s it is immensely gratifying to have seen them develop into the formidable squad they have become, culminating with our highest ever finish at this elite performance level. With many of the girls already being fast tracked into senior Jersey squads, the future of ladies hockey in Jersey looks very promising. Representing Jersey with pride, the girls will take away memories and friendships from this tournament which will last a lifetime. “
Photo credits: Hockey Today