Uefa Regions' Cup: Jersey knocked out after 0-0 North Macedonia draw

Jersey went into the final group game with a chance of progressing after Jay Giles' late free-kick earned a 2-1 win over Germany on Sunday

Jersey's footballers are out of the Uefa Regions' Cup after a 0-0 draw with North Macedonia in Italy.

Jersey, who were representing England in the European Championships for amateurs, finished two points behind Bavaria after they beat hosts Italy.

Jake Prince had Jersey's best chances in a goalless first half.

The islanders impressed after the break, but James Carr and Fraser Barlow failed to convert good chances in one of the biggest games in Jersey history.

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Bavaria, who Jersey beat 2-1 on Sunday, top the group in the intermediate round of the competition with six points after a 2-0 win over the Lazio region of Italy.

Jersey finish third in the group on four points - level on points with the hosts who finish above them after beating Jersey in their opener on Thursday.

Had the islanders beaten North Macedonia they would have gone through to the finals next year by virtue of winning their game with Germany on Sunday.

Prince dispossessed a defender early on in the game in Aprilia, but blasted a pass across the face of goal, while he beat the offside trap midway through the first half, but ran out of space as he tried to round goalkeeper Borche Kartov.

North Macedonia's best effort came after seven minutes when Muharem Mislimi blasted wide of the near post after a cut-back from Filip Dimoski.

Carr should have given Jersey lead shortly after the restart after the winger was put through following some clever play by Adam Trotter, but Kartov did well to smother his effort.

Both sides had a chance to score within a minute of each other soon after - Harry Curtis had a powerful effort saved by Kartov before North Macedonia broke with Emil Skoko forcing a diving save from Euan van der Vliet.

With 15 minutes left Barlow found himself deep in the opposing penalty area, and after twisting away from a defender could only find the side-netting, while Jonny Le Quesne's pass across the face of goal with five minutes left was agonisingly too long for Luke Campbell.

Prince thought he had won it with two minutes to go, but the island striker was judged to be offside after he had put the ball in the net, while Barlow forced a diving save from Kartov in stoppage time as Jersey tried everything to get a winner.

Jersey qualified to represent England in the tournament after winning the FA Inter-League Cup in May 2021.