VIDEO: St Brelade clinch inter-parish football award for fourth year in a row

Thursday 04 January 2018

St Brelade took the parish bragging rights again but needed extra-time as they won the Trinity Shield for the fourth consecutive season last night.

They came from behind in persistent rain at Springfield to claim a 3-1 win over western neighbours St Peter.

Extra-time strikes from substitute Matt Noble and Kieran Querée were enough to extend St Brelade’s long unbeaten run in the event. 

The annual inter-parish competition, played over the festive period, was first contested in the 1890s, making it the longest running football tournament in the Channel Islands. It sees players who were born in Jersey, or who went to the school in the island, representing the parish in which they were born or now reside.

St Peter went ahead as early as the second minute when Jake Prince’s low free-kick found its way through the wall via a deflection and in.

Video: St Brelade lift the Trinity Shield again in the annual football battle between parishes.

The reigning champions were soon level though, as Fraser Barlow’s superbly struck effort flew in to make it 1-1 at half-time.

Although the gale force winds of earlier in the day had weakened, the heavy rain continued and the tricky conditions seemed to play their part in a scrappier game as the night wore on. 

St Brelade created the bulk of the chances, forcing impressive goalkeeper Ryan Le Couteur into a string of excellent saves, but neither side could find a winner in normal time. 

With more than 100 minutes on the clock St Brelade eventually took the lead for the first time in the contest when Noble stabbed the ball in from close range after it rebounded off Le Couteur’s shins into his path.

Le Couteur then went forward for two last-gasp corners as St Peter hunted a dramatic equaliser, but instead St Brelade broke away and Kieran Querée calmly slotted the ball into the empty, unguarded net to seal the win for his side.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start and couldn’t have done much about the goal but it’s shown our character again with the way that we’ve responded,” said St Brelade captain James Querée. 

“It’s great playing over the Christmas period with your best mates, that’s four years on the bounce and hopefully there are many more to come. We’re going to have a target on our backs.” 

St Brelade’s triumph means they remain unbeaten in the competition since 2013, while St Peter’s wait to lift the Shield, which stretches back 30 years, goes on.