BEN COULTER and Jody Bisson (pictured) are the significant absentees from the 16-strong squad Tony Vance has named for the National League System Cup clash against the Southern Amateur League in a fortnight.
Coulter is being protected with a view to his impending knee operation, but Bisson’s days as Guernsey’s No. 1 look more and more numbered.
While Vance is publicly backing the Vale Rec keeper, who has missed just one Muratti in 16 since 2001, the sudden emergence of young Tom Le Tissier provides growing evidence that Bisson’s Muratti days may be over having opted out of the Island Games where the young Ranger so impressed.
‘It’s through no fault of Jody that Tom has taken the shirt on,’ said Vance yesterday.
Rovers’ Richard Davey is again named in the squad having sat on the bench for the System Cup win over the Northampton League.
‘It gives me an opportunity to look at other keepers,’ said Vance.
‘It doesn’t mean that he [Jody Bisson] is out of the equation completely. I still trust him as a keeper completely.’
On Coulter’s omission, the island manager said the player would have liked to featured but on medical advice it was felt best to go without him as the match is just three days before his long-planned knee operation.
Coulter’s knee swells increasingly after matches and with the System Cup game so close to the operation the island management do not wish to put the operation at risk.
‘He’d liked to have played but we have to think about his future.’
Coulter is, however, among the 17 named by Vance for the under-21 Muratti at the Track in eight days’ time.
It is a squad which is shorn of right-back contender Ricky Moore who during training damaged a knee falling into a ditch in the darkest parts of the KGV, and includes his Athletics colleague Miles Pengelley, although he is rated a major doubt with a back/groin problem which has kept him out recently.
Vance is giving the talented back every chance to get fit for the Ambassadeur Bowl clash and of the squad as a whole he said it was one ‘with an awful lot of permutations’.
Article posted on 6th November, 2009 - 2.30pm
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