2023 Island Games: Jersey footballers beat Ynys Mon 5-2 to win gold medal

Karl Hinds' goal made it 2-2 as Jersey edged an incredible first half at Footes Lane

Jersey won Island Games football gold after beating nine-man Ynys Mon 5-2.

Jersey made an awful start as Euan van der Vliet scored an own goal after 80 seconds, but Adam Trotter equalised three minutes later.

Sam Gregson's volley after 16 minutes put the Welsh in front, only for Karl Hinds to level 18 minutes later.

Toby Ritzema made it 3-2 to Jersey just before the break and Bickley made it 4-2 after the restart before a late fifth goal for the long-serving Luke Watson.

The Welsh side had Sam Jones sent off early in the second period before Sam Gregson was dismissed in stoppage time for second booking.

The victory over Ynys Mon was Jersey's first men's gold medal since 2009 and their fourth in total having also won in 1997 and 1993.

It means they have become the first island to win the men's football title four times, with rivals Guernsey having won it on three occasions.

Ynys Mon's early goal out Jersey on the back foot

The Channel Island side - who lost highly-rated striker Sol Solomon to an injury in the warm up - went behind in bizarre circumstances as a corner from the left was floated in and van der Vliet's punch was caught in the wind, bounced past everyone in the six yard box and spun into the net.

Jersey had a strong penalty claim dismissed after four minutes when Trotter seemed to be fouled in the penalty area.

But Trotter made amends two minutes later as he broke down the left before slotting home right-footed in the bottom corner.

Ynys Mon went back in front with a wonderful strike as Liam Norris nodded the ball down on the edge of the box and Gregson took one touch before volleying in from 20 yards.

Ynys Mon keeper David Jones did well to thwart Lorne Bickley after he had be sent through on goal by Jonny Le Quesne's pass midway through the first period.

Lorne Bickley terrorised the Ynys Mon defence for much of the match

But Jersey began to assert control and were back on level terms when a poor clearance fell to Bickley whose shot was blocked into the path of Hinds who scored from close range.

Having played five games in six days both sides looked jaded, but it was Jersey who stayed strongest and took a deserved two-goal lead five minutes into the second period as Bickley was sent through on goal and he rolled the ball in off the left post.

An all-action first half continued when Ritzema fired into an empty net from the edge of the box after a poor backpass was intercepted by Francis Lekimamati and his ball across the penalty area eventually fell to Ritzema to score.

It could have been 4-2 before the break as Bickley weaved through the Ynys Mon defence before Jones blocked his low effort, but the big striker made no mistake after the interval as he coolly finished after being pout through one-on-one.

Jersey's Luke Watson blazed an effort over the bar soon after before Jones was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Watson a minute or two later.

Against 10 men Jersey took control of the match as a tired Ynys Mon side struggled to make any sort of impact against Channel Islanders with a spring in their step and on foot on the top of the podium.

Any doubts where the gold medal would be going were ended with four minutes to go as Trotter's cut back fell to Watson on the edge of the area and the former Jersey captain fired in low to complete a memorable victory eight years after he had led Jersey to group stage defeat on home soil.

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