The finals of this year’s Guernsey Deloitte Corbet Cup and Shield took place on Thursday 17th June, with Vale Rec winning the Corbet Cup and Rovers winning the Shield.
The under-12s tournament has players across the two divisions, with six teams taking part in the Deloitte Corbet Cup and six in the Deloitte Corbet Shield. The teams compete to finish in the top four positions in their respective divisions, ensuring their qualification for the end-of-season knockout stage.
The Shield competition was won by Rovers 3-2 in extra time against North. To reach the final Rovers, who had finished second in the league table, beat Vale Rec 3-2 in the first semi-final.
North had a more difficult route to the final after finishing fifth in the table. They had to beat Rangers in the quarter-final before going up against St Martin’s in the second semi-final. St Martin’s finished the league programme in first place, but North deservedly won the semi-final 2-0.
The Corbet Cup (see the main picture) was won by Vale Rec 2-1 after extra time against Rovers. The match went into extra time and Vale Rec began to control the game, with some strong defensive play from Rovers preventing a goal. However, with the match in its final minutes, the Vale Rec striker pounced on a loose ball to score what proved to be the winning goal.
The league table had concluded with Vale Rec finishing the season unbeaten and top of the table, closely followed by Rovers, with Sylvans, North, St Martin’s and Rangers completing the final placings ahead of the knockout stage of the competition.
Guernsey FA Chief Executive Gary Roberts said: “The Corbet Cup Finals night once again provided some fantastic entertainment and showcased some very talented young footballers. The two matches were very competitive and youth football in Guernsey is clearly in a positive place moving forward. Events such as the Finals Night are only possible through the support of partners, and we remain grateful and appreciative of the support provided by Deloitte.
“The Corbet Cup and Shield competitions are now synonymous with the Deloitte name, which is a testament to the long-standing support that has been provided, and we look forward to many more such occasions in partnership.”
David Becker, Deloitte Partner, said: “The Deloitte Corbet Cup and Shield is a popular event in the local football calendar that we look forward to supporting every year. At Deloitte we firmly believe in fostering and nurturing young talent, so we are proud to be able to contribute to the island community through local football.”
Deloitte has supported the Guernsey Football Association for fifteen consecutive years and is the Association’s official Community Partner. Deloitte’s sponsorship helps to facilitate the Association’s work with the island’s schoolchildren and supports the annual Deloitte Corbet Cup and Shield competitions every year.
