Guernsey avoid Alderney scare to advance in vase

Guernsey needed a late winner to reach next month's Muratti Vase final after beating Alderney 2-1 in their semi-final.

The visitors had all the early pressure, although Alderney's Josh Concannon went closest to breaking the deadlock when he forced a decent save from Josh Addison in the 14th minute.

But the Sarnians took the lead eight minutes before half-time when Fin Du Port converted from the penalty spot after Niall Hainsworth had been fouled in the box.

However the hosts - who had not won a Muratti match since their only title win in 1920 when they beat Guernsey - got an equaliser from the spot 17 minutes after half-time when Concannon converted after Jermaine Parry was brought down in the box.

But Guernsey ended any hopes of an upset when Will Fazakerley fired in from close range after a goalmouth scramble with 13 minutes left, and Parry was sent off in stoppage time for violent conduct.

"It was a great game, I was so pleased for the guys," Alderney manager Alan Adamson told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"I'm not pleased we lost but they were fantastic in horrible conditions.

"It's the first Muratti for a long time where we've been in the game for as long.

"We didn't get outbattled, we didn't get outclassed, we stood up for ourselves and gave as good as we got."

The win means Guernsey will travel to Springfield to face Jersey on Saturday, 16 May as they aim to retain the title they won on home soil last year.

The result was the closest Alderney have come to beating their bigger Channel Island rivals in the best part of a decade - they were defeated 2-1 by Jersey in 2017 having lost 1-0 to Guernsey 12 months earlier.

"I think Alderney put us under a bit of pressure and tested us," Guernsey manager Dave Merris told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"The conditions didn't help in how we wanted to play, but overall the end result is the most important thing, so happy overall."