FOR someone given a four out of 10 rating on the opening day of the current Sure Mobile Priaulx League season, Craig Young is not doing so bad is he? Yours truly was the less-than-impressed scribe that afternoon as North lost to Rangers at St Andrew’s, Young faring no better or worse than the equally ineffective Jamie Ferbrache and Glyn Dyer in the visitors’ attack.
Collectively, they were awful.
But since that day, Young has been flying.
He was the best and liveliest player on the park as North beat Sylvans last weekend, earning top marks.
He now finds himself skippering the island under-21 side, in the full island squad and looking every inch a fine player.
Just shows what a bit of confidence, self-commitment and support from the coach can do.
Young, unquestionably, is the still fledgling season’s outstanding player, but there have been several previously under-rated or unfashionable men making their mark this season.
The two pushing Young the closest for player-of-the-year at this stage in the highly-unofficial sports department footy awards, are Saints midfielder Charles Pinsard and Sylvan defender Naro Zimmerman, who needs a bit of good news.
No sooner had he been picked for the island squad to play Gloucestershire, he was dropped for being too young.
Moving from Bels, where neither ever convinced, has done the pair the world of good.
Pinsard appears a far more mature, committed and level-headed individual, mixing improved fitness levels with quality on the ball.
Zimmerman, too, has improved beyond recognition and fully deserved his brief elevation to the senior squad.
And so too does his replacement, North’s Paul Page, who does fit the peculiar age criteria of the National System Cup.
Fast, solid, decent in the air and very dependable, Page must be an irritant for every attacker with his ability to recover just when they might have imagined they had got away.
Then, in goal, we have the exciting find that is Scott Rowe.
How long before the tall junior puts serious pressure on Bels’ number one, Rhys Gower?
Other unfashionable performers I like but seem to go unnoticed, are Sylvans full-back Ben Hewlett, although I was tempted to review my opinion of him when he clattered so clumsily into Dyer at St Peter’s 10 days ago, and the Rangers midfield widemen, George Prow and Ryan Gontier.
Throw in the left-footed wizardry of Saints’ Jason Winch and assurance of Morgan Cluett, who sadly has disappeared back to Paris for a spell, and you have this XI which, when combined, has given added zip and interest to this winter’s Priaulx League campaign.
Article posted on 19th November, 2007 - 12.00am
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