SAINTS supporters forgive me. As the island’s top two sides go head-to-head for the championship I have, for two reasons, admit to a leaning towards Northerners.

First and foremost, the chocolate-and-blues are the best football team we have.

Until the late season wobble, they have consistently proved it and on the brink of a notable Priaulx-Jeremie-Wheway treble, Geoff Tardif’s men have provided the island’s decreasing football fan base with the best entertainment.

Secondly, if North fail to rubber-stamp their greater class and lift their first championship in a dozen years, I will have much explaining to do to their coach.

As much as to calm the nerves of one of the most admirable men in Guernsey football for the past three months I have consistently told this most honest and approachable coaches, not to worry: ‘It will be alright, Geoff, you will win it easily.’

But now even I’m worried.

Yes, the writer who not so many years ago predicted Bels to win the championship and eight months later they finished rock bottom, might just be wrong again.

Certainly, North supporters should be concerned.

St Martin’s have the power, organisation and spirit to make themselves formidable visitors to Northfield for a game which should attract comfortably the biggest gate of the season.

Indeed, one has to hand it to the Saints for taking the championship down to the final game.

On the face of it, they are nothing special, happy to grind out results as part of the building process being masterminded by possibly the best club coaching team the local game has seen.

In the two Colins, Saints have a combination of what any set of players could ever want: Fallaize the inspirer; Renouf the soccer legend and acute tactical brain.

In CI football the two have done it all. Plainly, you’d have to be an idiot not to want to play under this double act. The duo have all the bases covered.

No person locally knows more about fitness and sports psychology than the man who sees it as nothing to row across the Channel and raise thousands for the MS Society and in more of his spare time also looks to provide a source of enlightenment for those who have had their freedom taken away from them.

‘Big Fal’ will back anyone. Remember how he offered support to the beleaguered Rhodes coach at the height of the ‘battle of the Corbet Field’ storm last summer?

That was just typical of the man, for that is what he is at all times.

The ‘Big Fella’ Renouf inspires in his own way and is clear proof that you need not have a UEFA coaching badge to know your football and coach a successful team. Just look what he did at Sylvans.

That said, making St Martin’s a force similar to that he experienced as a player in the 1960s is a much bigger job than he ever faced at Sylvans. Renouf is the tactician and boy we’ve seen some tactics employed by the black-and-whites this season.

Most of the time it has not been pretty, but it has worked, the proof being that they are just 90 minutes away from the title.

The question is can Saints’ organisation, strength and togetherness get them the win they need today?

If North click, as only they can, Saints will leave disappointed, but there has been enough evidence this season to suggest that while the most exciting, skilful and vibrant team in Guernsey are wearing light blue, when plan A goes wrong they struggle to come up with a successful plan B.

That is no criticism of Tardif. Here is a coach who has a wonderful demeanour, totally devoted to his club and enjoys no less respect from his players than that of the dream coaching team from BPL.

The fault is with the team, a young one, who just want to attack and when stifled are left scratching their heads. But part of being a top team is learning to cope with such situations and if North fail to get the point they need today it should not be seen as sickening failure, merely part of the learning process.

The title will come to Northfield sooner or later.