The Jersey FA Women’s squad is hoping to right the wrongs of the last Island Games – in which an administrative error saw the team the team eliminated from the semi-finals by a coin toss – in Orkney this year.
As the 2025 Games draw near, Jersey Women’s head coach Chad Morris is full of optimism, having prepared his squad thoroughly in the lead-up to the tournament.
Last time out in an Island Games competition, the Caesarean women were knocked out in unimaginable circumstances.
In the 2023 Island Games, hosted in Guernsey, Jersey were eliminated from the semi-finals at the fall of a coin toss, following an administrative error.
Jersey and Menorca finished their group stage with identical records and it was initially believed Jersey would progress based on disciplinary records (fewer yellow cards).
However, an appeal by Menorca revealed an error in the yellow card count, and a coin toss was used to decide which team advanced – with Menorca winning.
Despite a promising performance in the Women’s Muratti Final two months ago, Jersey suffered a disappointing defeat to Guernsey, losing 3-1 on away soil.
Morris, however, has been keeping his side sharp following the Muratti disappointment.
He said: “We’ve been training hard. Straight after the Muratti we kept the momentum going, organising in‑house friendlies and getting 11 v 11 match practice alongside league players.
“Our last friendly will be this Tuesday [8 July], which will cap off excellent preparation in my opinion.”
Morris alluded to the Muratti clash and how his side plan to bounce back in Orkney.
“The result was disappointing,” he said,
“We were better than last year, but the result was still not what we wanted.”
“We went through what worked post-game, what didn’t, took our learnings, and moved straight on to Island Games prep.
“The players were brilliant at recognising faults in their performance: ‘Here’s what happened, here’s how we improve, let’s crack on’.”
Jersey begin their campaign this Sunday 13 July against a tough, FIFA-ranked Bermuda side.
“We take one game at a time,” Morris continued. “We’ve watched footage of Bermuda and analysed them. We feel in a good place.”
“Our first game is Sunday evening at 7pm, then our next opponents, Shetland Islands, play midday Monday, so we can scout them before facing them.”
After Bermuda, the squad face Shetland Islands and the Isle of Wight, both opponents they’ve met in previous tournaments, including the Cherry Godfrey Cup earlier in the 2024/25 season.
Having so many games in such a short period of time, Morris emphasises squad versatility:
“We’ve added Sarah Luce, Sophie Thornton and Alena Clyde‑Smith to the squad who played the Muratti.”
“It’s three games in three days, with less than 24 hours recovery between each, so we’ve focused heavily on recovery and being ready for each match.”
“Our priority is our own performances. There are too many variables, weather, opposition quality, pitch conditions. If we perform at our maximum, and that’s enough for a medal, great. If not, we walk away knowing we did all we could.”
Though young, the squad have plenty of game time under their belts, as Morris acknowledged: “Many of the squad are 19–21 years old, but they’ve been together for a long time and have played a lot. Murattis, county cups, Island Games, they’ve got experience beyond their years.”
The squad have been facing fresh challenges and new tournament formats, such as the Cherry Godfrey Cup and their efforts in the Southern Counties Cup.
They will be looking to send a message of resilience after exiting last year’s Games in such controversial style.
Morris concluded: “This Island Games squad is mentally tough, technically sharp, and tactically prepared. If we perform to our best, it’ll take a hell of a team to beat us.”
Jersey FA Women’s Squad:
Holly Muirhead (c), Aine Ruth, Alena Clyde-Smith, Ana Malta, Anita Tavares, Danny Da Silva, Ella Brennand, Ella Docherty, Emily Le Page, Hannah Lynam, Leah Morris, Macey Wyse, Poppy Benest, Roisin Flynn, Sam Silva, Sara Luce, Sofia Rodrigues, Sophie Thornton, Tiff Sundby.