Three out of four say they can't win title

ONE of the tightest Priaulx League championship races in history enters its final month this weekend. Sylvans, Northerners, St Martin's and Vale Rec. face a 31-day showdown for the biggest prize in local football.

Saints are in the driving seat statistically having dropped 13 points, but they still have seven games to play.

Sylvans have lost 14 points and have four fixtures left, Vale have dropped 16 and have three to play and North have lost 17 points and have only two fixtures remaining.

But, amazingly, Vale coach Ray Blondel, Saints chief Steve Ogier and North coaches Geoff Tardif and Alan Le Prevost have all cast doubt on their teams' capacity to break Sylvans' decade-long grip on the title.

Blondel was adamant that Vale are out of it, even after Tuesday's shock defeat of Sylvans.

'We still won't win it. It was a great result, but I said last week that we've dropped too many points and I still think that way,' said Blondel.

'I would go for Sylvans. Their class of player means that they could well win all of their remaining games and that would tie it up.

'And although they are two players who could destroy us, I am pleased to see Paul Nobes and Tony Vance back from injury. It's good for football that they are back and it might just give Sylvans the lift they need.'

Steve Ogier, after watching his side beat Rovers 3-0 in midweek, disputed Saints' new tag as favourites.

'It's all ifs and buts. If we win all of our games in hand then we'll win it, but that's a big ask of the players,' said Ogier.

'We're in a good position, but to say that we're in the driving seat is a bit over the top. I'd rather have points on the board than games in hand.

'We've battled hard and got points off Rec. and North, but they've battered us really. And our form against the so-called weaker teams is patchy.

'I think that we're too wasteful in possession and perhaps we're too naive to win it this season.'

Tardif said that North, now the outsiders, would 'keep on going' but added that they had 'quite possibly dropped too many points'.

North director of coaching Alan Le Prevost said that the chocolate-and-blues had 'virtually killed off' their chances of lifting the title.

'If I were a betting man, I'd go for Sylvans. I think we've had too many draws and maybe thrown away our chance to win it,' said Le Prevost.

'We would need a miracle now.

'The number of games we've drawn is crazy and I think the players would admit that you've got to play better than we have to win the league.'

But Sylvans coach Richard Packman, who is bidding to lead the westerners to a record-breaking 10th successive championship, has adopted a more confident front.

'I've never been presumptuous enough to say that we're definitely going to win it, but it's in our hands and I think that we've got the quality necessary to do it,' said Packman.

'It's a question of pride as much as anything else now. If we want to win that 10th title enough, it's ours for the taking.'

The four contenders are all in action over the next nine days, starting with Saints' tricky trip to Port Soif to play Rovers tomorrow afternoon.