This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

TONIGHT it is the Guernsey FA Cup final but next season it could be the FA Vase for St Martin’s.

Saints face Bels today at the Corbet Field for the biggest cup in local football, but they also have their sights on bigger fry as they have submitted an entry for next season’s national FA Vase competition.

‘This is a great opportunity for the club on the back of an exciting start to 2009 in terms of the standards the players are now setting themselves,’ said Saints boss Colin Fallaize.

‘I know from previous experience playing in the competition that in order for us to compete in the FA Vase the players will have to improve themselves dramatically, and I have laid down the challenge to them to do so.’

The competition is for teams playing at steps five to seven of the national league system.

Saints played in the competition on two occasions in the latter half of the 1970s.

In their second appearance they reached the fourth round before losing 2-1 away to Gosport Borough.

There are strict requirements for entry and all home games must be played at the club’s home ground and not at an alternative venue that meets the requirements.

Saints have submitted an application for FA funding to improve its floodlights and hope for approval to be granted imminently.

The news comes in light the formation of Guernsey Athletics, who at one point had plans to enter the Vase.

The new club have been a controversial topic that has seen them change their original name of Guernsey United at the insistence of the other clubs who see them as a threat as they look set to try and cherry-pick their best players.

But Fallaize vehemently denied that Saints’ FA Vase proposal has anything to do with Guernsey Athletics and that it was all to do with developing his own club.

‘I’m trying to make St Martin’s a better team at senior level,’ he said.

‘We’re looking to try and progress and we feel that with the strength in our squad now, we can do a national competition. It has nothing to do with Guernsey Athletics.’

Turning his attention to tonight’s cup final, Fallaize admitted that he is missing a few players.

Marc McGrath and Billy Page, who signed from Bels in December, are cup-tied, while midfielder Ben Coulter, who is a player of the season contender, is suspended.
There are also question marks over Ryan Tippett and Naro Zimmerman, who are ill.

The Winch brothers, Luke and Jason, are set to start, so is Nathan Pattimore in goal, Sam Rowe, Simon Geall, Chris Mauger, island captain Matt Warren, Dom Heaume and Chris Le Noury.

The team will look to make amends from last week’s defeat in the final of the Deloitte CI Champions League which saw them lose on penalties to Bels, their opponents this evening.

‘I’m confident always that the boys can do a job,’ said Fallaize.

‘It’s the last game of the season for a lot of them so it’s a great way to finish the season. We’ll look to make up for last week, but what is gone is gone.

‘What we’ve got to try and do is learn from last week.’

Bels themselves also have a number missing for tonight.

Captain and defender Sam Cochrane is out after injuring his shin in the island’s friendly with North on Saturday.

AJ Saunders is still out with a hamstring problem and island player Joby Bourgaize is suspended.

Bels boss Micky Ogier was unsurprisingly keeping his cards close to his chest and refused to say who he might be bringing in.

‘If we play to potential, it could go either way,’ he said.

‘It was a good game last week and hopefully there won’t be too much in it.’

The final also marks the last game in charge for Ogier, who is stepping down at the end of the season. But he is not letting the occasion get to him.

‘I’m not, to be honest,’ he said.

‘I’m just going to take it as it comes.’

Kick off is at 7.30pm at the Corbet Field.

Article posted on 9th April, 2009 - 2.30pm