Bels 1, North 2
NORTH drew important first blood over Priaulx title rivals Bels last night. In what is being called the closest league in years, it is hard to separate reigning champions North and the previous season incumbents Bels.
Going into the match at the Track, both teams were on 10 points but it was North who were celebrating afterwards by going to the top of the table.
The game was a good advert for local football, played in a friendly spirit and the only dampening aspect of the night was the incessant rain.
‘I’m very pleased with the team’s performance and especially with the attitude and the work rate of the players,’ said North coach Mick Le Prevost.
‘It was a hard game. Bels played well and they also had some chances.
‘Full credit to them - it was a good game.’
With the players slipping around on the wet surface as if they were a drunk Dancing on Ice troupe, North took the lead just after 20 minutes when their midfielder Gavin Le Page headed a corner and it went in off Joby Bourgaize.
Le Page will no doubt claim the goal but the consensus afterwards was that it goes down as an own goal to the Bels winger.
A couple of minutes later Alex Le Prevost should have made it 2-0 but he just failed to get on the end of a fine Ollie McKenzie cross.
Le Prevost combined well with Le Page in the midfield and looked a different player to the one who turned out against St Martin’s last week.
Bels were hampered on the half-an-hour mark when their island striker Marc McGrath limped off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by young Danny Marquand.
North’s in-form winger Glyn Dyer, who again looked impressive all game, then came close when he let one rip from the edge of the area that Bels keeper Rhys Gower did well to keep out.
And things did not bode well for the hosts when Dyer was brought down in the area by Bels captain Leighton Chainey and referee Matt Walsh, who had one of his better games, duly awarded a penalty.
Up stepped Stuart Polson but for the third time on the bounce he failed to score from the spot as he sent it wide.
Half time soon followed and the miss was driven home by Bels as they equalised just after the hour mark through another own goal, this time by North’s wing back Ollie McKenzie when he headed in a cross.
Youth One star Robbie Williams, who had come on for Brent Marquand, came close to putting the home side ahead minutes later when North keeper Richard Davey was caught out of his position but the forward’s curling shot was the wrong side of the post.
North themselves brought on a young substitute in Jon Loaring and with seven minutes to go he bundled in over the line a low Jamie Ferbrache cross that ensured that North took all points.
‘I’m very disappointed,’ said Bels coach Micky Ogier.
‘They were the better team in the first half but we were the better team in the second. We took the game to them in the second half and we didn’t deserve to lose.’
Article posted on 17th October, 2007 - 12.00am
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