Lee Savident dives at young Stuart Roussel’s feet at Northfield where he produced a debut peformance of stunning quality. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0856141)

ISLAND boss Tony Vance was not at Northfield on Wednesday but he will have learned already that he now has one more very viable goalkeeping alternative.

He is 6ft 5in., has hands the size of pancakes, stacks of international experience and is not the sort to get the jitters.

The name – Lee Savident, one of Guernsey’s foremost cricketers.

Carl Le Tissier, Vale Rec’s assistant first-team boss, was saying long before the end of Athletics’ shock Stranger Cup win over Division One title challengers North on Wednesday night, that were it up to him he would be on the phone to Vance straight away to tell him that he’s just seen the best goalkeeper in Guernsey football.

Mick Le Prevost, the North coach, is not going quite so far but he had had quite enough of the towering former North junior by the end of the Tics’ game in which Savident turned in a man-of-the-match performance.

‘In all my time in football I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said Le Prevost. ‘If it hadn’t been for the keeper we would have won. Unfortunately for us he was, by far, the man of the match.’

He said Le Tissier’s assessment of Savident’s abilities were no exaggeration.

‘I reckon of that bloke that if he wanted to train and take the game serious he could be the island goalkeeper. He’s a perfect height for a keeper, he talks, he’s got good hands and can kick and throw.’