Can Guernsey beat Jersey for third successive year?

Guernsey manager Anna Gauvain admits her squad are under pressure to keep up their run of success as they prepare to travel to Jersey for the Women's Muratti Vase final.

Guernsey beat Jersey 2-1 at Victoria Park last year as they retained the title for the first time since 2001.

But they face a Jersey side made up of players from Jersey Bulls, who cruised to the South East Counties Women's Division One title in their first season in English league football.

"I think there is a bit of pressure now," said Gauvain, whose Guernsey FC side played their first campaign in the English league this season as well.

"The last two years have been really good, performances have been good on the day and it's seeing if the girls can turn up for a third time, especially away from home.

"We had a fantastic season down here with Guernsey FC and then the Muratti last season and now it's travelling away with the fans and seeing if the pressure's on, and I'm sure Jersey will be up for it."

The last time Guernsey won three successive Muratti titles was in the fixture's early history - the Sarnians won the first five matches between the islands from 1997 to 2001.

Since then, Jersey has had the upper hand, winning 16 of the 24 meetings between the two islands including 10 in a row between from 2009 onwards.

But the gap has closed and Jersey have not beaten their rivals since a 4-1 win on Guernsey soil in 2023.

"I'm really excited, everyone's good to go," Jersey boss Chad Morris said.

"We've got a game plan to play them, so it's more about staying in the moment, concentrating on every training session and trying to get outcomes from that rather than looking too far ahead to the actual day itself.

"The emotional side of the football will come on Saturday, but at the moment it's just 'stick to the training sessions, stick to what the game plan is' and just let's build towards Saturday and then the emotion gets ramped up then."