Corbet's dilemma

GUERNSEY coach Phil Corbet has a massive selection dilemma up front ahead of tomorrow's Cherry Godfrey Muratti semi-final in Alderney. Corbet said yesterday that he knew his starting side, but he will keep his players sweating until the morning of the match before he named the team.

The big question mark hanging over Corbet's starting XI concerns whom he will pair up front with Ryan Tippett, the island's leading goalscorer who is certain to play.

With Matt Falla and Neil Clegg injured, Corbet must choose between Sylvans veteran Tony Vance and Danny Bisson of Vale Rec.

The Guernsey boss claimed last year that Vance was no longer up to the demands of 90 minutes of island football, but Bisson has only just been recalled to the senior squad.

The island coach could elect to field Tippett, Vance and Bisson, but that would mean dropping one of his preferred midfield quartet of Chris Chamberlain, Gavin Le Page, Steve Brehaut and Matt Warren, none of whom would expect to be left out.

Corbet would not discuss selection issues this week. Instead, he spoke in general terms about the task facing Guernsey in the northern isle tomorrow.

'Everyone goes into this game with the fear of Alderney winning,' he said. 'They are certainly more organised these days and they are a lot tougher than when we first went up there to play them.

'What you're looking for is an early goal to settle the nerves and to then push on from there.'

Corbet agreed that he and his players were 'on a hiding to nothing' against Alderney. A big win will be greeted with unenthusiastic expectation and anything less will be slated as a poor result.

Corbet has played Alderney twice in Muratti football. In 1999, Guernsey won 1-0; in 2001, they beat the Ridunians 6-0.

'I can't remember the details of those games very clearly, but I think the difference was that we got an early goal last time. In 1999, that never came.'

The big injury doubt this week has been Warren, who was forced to pull out of Guernsey's trip to Gloucestershire last weekend. But Corbet said that he expected the Sylvans midfielder to win his fitness battle for tomorrow's clash.