IT WILL be a changing of the guard for Guernsey when they run out for the Cherry Godfrey Women’s Muratti on Sunday. Coach Darren Ogier, in charge of his first Muratti side although he has been assaistant in the past, has turned to youth as the Sarnians look to prevent Jersey winning their third straight inter-insular.

Out through injury are usual captain Lisa Sylvester, who had an operation last week, Bonny Evans and Nikki Johns, while old hands such as Corrina Le Noury, Annie Machon and Anna Harvey, ever-presents since the game’s inception in 1997, have slipped into representative retirement.

‘We will have quite a few new caps – we have gone for a bit of a younger squad,’ said the coach. ‘There could be as many as five new caps on the day. It has been a case of out with the old and in with the new.’

Among the newcomers are the youngest members of the squad, Rochelle Vaudin, whom Ogier described as ‘a very exciting prospect’, and Natalie Grainger.

Meanwhile, the captaincy has been taken over by another teenager – Gemma Bailey.

‘She is 19. She plays at the back and is quite organised. She drives people on by example and always gives 100% in matches and training,’ said Ogier, giving the reasons behind his selection.

This will be the first Muratti for Guernsey since the local season changed to a winter programme.

Although that has meant less sessions with the players for Ogier, it has also had its positives for the island boss.

‘It means I do not have to work on fitness, just on the things we want them to do football-wise. That has been great,’ he said.

‘We can see now that they are doing the things we wanted them to do naturally; they don’t have to be told.’

But Ogier is under no illusions about how tough it will be to regain the trophy. Although Jersey’s two Muratti victories have been by just a single goal, the Caesareans are still improving.

‘They will be strong. They seem to be getting better every year.

‘The thing is with Jersey, when they were losing a few years back, they took the decision to go with youngsters and stick with them. They have blooded them now and those players are quality. They have also had some players come in from the UK, which has helped.’

This season will be the first that the women’s Muratti has not been staged on the same day as the men’s final.

But with the match kicking off at 2pm at Springfield on Sunday, it should take on a higher profile than in previous years, especially with it being played at the premier ground in Jersey.

Ogier acknowledged with that being the case, the players would be more in the limelight this time.

‘I am not sure they appreciate that yet but in the Island Games when they played at the Track it gave them a buzz and Springfield should do the same,’ he said.