Sylvans 0, North 2

SHORN of their captain Matt Warren, university students and a handful of island under-18s away on ‘national’ duty, Sylvans did well to escape a hammering at St Peter’s. They also lost striker Kris Moherndl, sent off late on for two yellows, and defender Naro Zimmerman to injury, so no wonder coach Martyn de Garis wore a sorrowful face at the final whistle.

Micky Le Prevost, on the other hand, was positively bristling after a convincing win and three more points which lift them level with Bels at the top of the table.

‘I’m proud of them all,’ said the North boss.

‘Everybody is doing their job.

‘We came up here to get three points and that’s what we’ve done.

‘We could have scored five. We won comfortably, to be fair.’

Alex Le Prevost, from the spot, and Craig Young got the all-important goals, but it should have been many more.

Time and again Northerners blazed high or wide and when they did get their shots on target, they again found Sylvans keeper Paul de Garis in inspirational form.

After some of the St Peter’s thrillers of early season, this was not the best of games by comparison.

But, as you would expect, North played some inventive football at times and none more so than when Young doubled their lead and made the game safe on 65min.

It was a superbly crafted effort.

From a well worked throw on the right near halfway, Young, forever buzzing all across the Sylvans backline, fired a crisp ball out to Darren Martin on the run down the right.

Without breaking stride the North skipper whipped in a low ball and there was Young, timing his run to perfection, to half-volley a superb strike past de Garis.

Their first had come on the brink of half-time.

Zimmerman, who until then had been enjoying another impressive afternoon at the heart of the Sylvans defence alongside Tom Strawbridge, missed clearing a header and, as the ball bounced dangerously across the box, Ben Hewlett spoiled an otherwise fine game by clumsily flattening Glyn Dyer.

Referee Matt Walsh pointed to the spot and Le Prevost hit the perfect penalty kick wide to de Garis’ right.

North should have scored long before that and several times, but as the half wore on, the home side had begun to become more threatening themselves, despite being outgunned in the middle of the park.

Blane Queripel blazed one fine chance high and wide from close range and an acute angle, Eduardo Santana just failed to clear keeper Richard Davey with a chip from distance, Davey saved from Moherndl at the foot of his near post and Strawbridge went close from the resulting corner with a header.

The second half was all North and the double introduction of Tom Duff and Tony Vance, for an injured Zimmerman and Matt Seeds, did nothing to snap the visitors’ grip on the game.

Following Young’s second, chance after chance went begging at the clubhouse end and six minutes before the end, as Dyer broke down the left, Moherndl mistimed his tackle and sent the winger flying. Second yellow and off.