Bronze v Hitra

Ynys Mon 2019: Jersey women win bronze in dramatic fashion

Jersey's women clinch bronze at the Inter-Island Games with an extra-time victory over Hitra.

Jersey's women scored a dramatic late equaliser against Hitra and then clinched the bronze-medal match in extra time at the Inter-Island Games.

Having lost the semi-final against the hosts, Jersey had to pick themselves up again to ensure they left Ynys Mon with a medal, and they started brightly with early chances for captain Jodie Botterill and Megan Wood.

But it was Hitra that went ahead when Nina Antonsen kept herself onside and fired in the opener. 

Libby Barnett's penalty, just moments after half-time, pulled Jersey square after Natasha Keen had been fouled in the box.

With just three minutes left on the clock it looked like Hitra had snatched the win, and the medal, when Kristin Jorgenson converted her penalty. But, Jersey showed great character and grabbed a second equaliser with just seconds of normal time remaining as Wood volleyed in through a crowd from a corner.

Hitra upped their game in the first period of extra time but Jersey found a moment of magic with just ten minutes of the 120 to go. Jodie Botterill's perfectly-weighted through ball was smashed in by Eve Watson and Jersey could celebrate bronze for the second Games in a row, having achieved the same result at Gotland 2017.

Meanwhile, Jersey's men finished the tournament in fifth spot thanks to a 3-1 win over Hitra. Jay Giles netted in the opening few minutes to put Martin Cassidy's side ahead, before Kieran Lester's scissor-kick doubled the advantage. Hitra pulled one back before Adam Trotter's late strike from distance sealed the win.