FOOTBALL is a simple game.
To win matches you have to find the back of the net.
And that is exactly what young Guernsey coach Tony Vance (pictured) wants more of – goals.
He is still reeling from the disappointment of watching his Island under-21s dominate Jersey in the Ambassadeur Bowl at the weekend only to lose on penalties, the match having been level at 2-2 after 90 minutes and 3-3 after extra time.
Tomorrow his senior Guernsey side have their crucial FA Carlsberg National League System Cup second-round tie with the holders, the Southern Amateur League.
‘That [the U-21 Muratti] was a missed opportunity-and-a-half from my point of view,’ he said.
‘I’ve told all my players that I’m starting to get frustrated. So far the games we’ve lost against Jersey are certainly games that we should have won and could have won.
‘We’re creating a lot of chances. We’re certainly predictable on that side of things. We need to start finishing teams off and start taking our chances. That’s the one thing we really need to start concentrating on. Apart from that, things are going well.’
Vance usually likes to keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to team selection.
But he did say that everyone is available from the squad that he announced a couple of weeks ago apart from Darren Martin, who is out with a quad muscle problem.
He is not bringing in anyone to replace him.
Someone else who also will not feature is Ben Coulter.
The plan was always for the young St Martin’s midfielder to have a long-awaited knee operation after the Ambassadeur Bowl and he goes under the surgeon’s knife within the next couple of weeks.
‘It is a big loss not having him available because he’s an influential character on and off the field,’ said Vance about Coulter.
‘But the squad is very competitive and we’ve got players who fit into that position no problem.’
Vance admitted that he knows very little about SAL.
They won the last NLS Cup and went on to represent England in the UEFA Regions Cup in Italy at the end of 2008.
They beat the Gloucestershire County League 2-0 in the first round while Guernsey got the better of the Northampton Town League by the same score in September.
‘I think they are going to be a well gelled unit as they play together quite regularly,’ he said.
‘Unlike other sides in the competition, they play together regularly, like us. They will be a lot stronger than the last team we played.
‘The fact that they won this competition and they represented England shows that they might be a half-decent side, but we hold no fear in this competition.’
There is also the added pressure that, since pulling out of the South and West Counties Championship, the national knockout competition is the senior island side’s only form of competitive football apart from the Muratti.
Lose on Saturday and Vance’s team will not have a competitive match until the Muratti final on Monday 3 May 2010.
‘We’ve got a programme of games to fall back on, but you can’t beat competitive fixtures,’ said Vance. ‘If Guernsey football is to go forward we need more of these fixtures. You can’t put a side together and play just one competitive game [the Muratti].
‘This competition is really beneficial and it’s important that we keep the competitive fixtures going.’FA Carlsberg National League System Cup second round: Guernsey host holders SAL
Article posted on 20th November, 2009 - 2.29pm
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