Young FA Representative XI lose out to Jersey on penalties

Jersey FA: 1
(Queree 90+1)

FA XI: 1
(Okenabirhie 61)

Jersey win 4-3 on penalties 

KARL HINDS scored the winning penalty as the Jersey FA beat an FA XI – made up of Non-League Under-23s – to lift the Jacksons’ Trophy.

The Channel Islanders won the shoot-out 4-3 having seen James Queree score a stoppage time equaliser.

The visitors had been ahead through Dagenham & Redbridge attacker Fejiri Okenabirhie’s second-half opener and dominated the game.

But Jack Powell and James Alabi had their penalties saved by Ewan Van Der Vielt before Hinds slotted the decisive kick into the top corner.

Officially an FA Representative XI, boss Paul Fairclough made seven changes to the starting England C side that had beaten Panjab FA 2-1 at Solihull Moors on Sunday.

Jersey FA had an opening early on after a good move up the left flank, only for Calvin Weir to fire off target when played inside.

The visitors enjoyed much of the ball but Jersey held their shape well and clear openings were hard to come by. Morgan Ferrier headed Powell’s free-kick wide before George Carline saw his header fly over.

Having seen his Ebbsfleet United team-mate Darren McQueen steal the headlines with his two goals on Sunday, Powell was keen to get in on the act himself. The midfielder forced Van Der Vielt into a good save low to his left.

Maidstone United centre-back Kevin Lokko clipped the top of the bar either side of half-time, before the breakthrough came.

Okenabirhie had barely been on the pitch 30 seconds when he raced through and calmly put his side into the lead.

Joe Ironside thought he had doubled the advantage moments later, only to be denied by the offside flag, and then Bobby-Joe Taylor pulled a shot just past the post.

Solihull Moors’ Carline was playing as a makeshift right-back with Keaton Wood out injured. He made a vital intervention when a long ball forward skipped up on FA keeper Ross Fitzsimons outside the box and presented substitute Hinds an opening. But Carline was covering to clear the goal-bound ball to safety.

The FA XI pushed for a second. Captain David Ferguson’s dangerous ball from the left flank was taken off James Alabi’s head by Stuart Andre’s excellent defensive header.

And it proved vital when quick-passing put Queree in to fire in an equaliser on 91 minutes.

So to penalties, where Hinds kept his cool to finish the pressure penalty for Jersey’s win.

MATCH STATS

Jersey / FA XI

Shots on: 1/4
Shots off: 3/10
Corners: 1/8
Offside: 5/4
Fouls: 12/8
Yellows: 1/0
Reds: 0/0

Jersey: Van Der Vielt, Le Quesne, C Weir, O’Shea (Curtis 74), Andre, Queree, M Weir (Kilshaw 70), Miley, Russell (Lester 83), Trotte (Hinds 65), Cannon
Subs not used: McBey, Birrell

FA XI: Ross Fitzsimons; George Carline, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Kevin Lokko, David Ferguson; Jack Powell, Ryan Croasdale, Harry Vince; Morgan Ferrier (Fejiri Okenabirhie 60), Joe Ironside (James Alabi 76), Darren McQueen (Bobby-Joe Taylor 56)
Subs not used: James Montgomery, Callum Howe, Gus Mafuta.