Brent hat-trick seals title early

VALE REC. are back on top of Guernsey football. The green-and-yellows last night won their first Priaulx League championship for 10 years after hammering Rovers 6-1.

Nearly 500 people crammed into the Corbet Field to watch Brent Blondel effectively wrap up the title with a first-half hat-trick.

Tony Manning, Danny Bisson and David MacNab scored for Vale in the second half and Tom Rihoy grabbed a consolation for Rovers.

But the focus last night was all on the Blondels - hat-trick hero Brent and his dad Ray, who returned as coach this season to win his fifth title in five seasons during three spells in the hot seat.

Brent was in tears after getting his hands on the most prestigious trophy in local football. 'This means so much to me. It's brilliant,' he said.

Ray said: 'It's been a long wait 10 years, but it's a big achievement for the club. The players deserve it because they kept working hard and believing in themselves even when a lot of people thought we were probably out of it.

'Rovers did well and made it difficult for us for half-an-hour. But we settled down once the first goal went in, then the second one came soon after and that sort of knocked the stuffing out of them. We won it well in the end and pretty much controlled it.'

Vale won their last four league games to grab the championship ahead of rivals Sylvans and Northerners. Their title victory prevented Sylvans winning a record-breaking 10th successive title.

'What Sylvans did was tremendous,' said Ray. 'To win nine in a row was a fantastic achievement and I'd like to put my admiration for them on the record.

'Without Sylvans being up there so consistently, the others' standards might have dropped. A lot of work has gone into catching them up, but we've got to go on and get better from here.'

Vale have been shorn of several of their best players during an injury-plagued second half of the season. That made winning the league 'even more special and even more of an achievement', said their coach.

Chris Hamon, Ray's predecessor as Vale boss who came within two points of leading the club to the title last season, was beaming at the final whistle as he hugged his successor and former players.

'This is what it's all about,' said Hamon. 'I'm so pleased for Ray and all the lads. They've worked so hard for tonight.'

Brent Blondel settled Vale's nerves after 34 minutes of a game they had to win to win the league.

He took his first goal superbly, lobbing the goalkeeper from 18 yards with a left foot half-volley. He took advantage of a defensive muddle to score a second five minutes later. And he fired home a third from 10 yards a minute before half time.

Manning hit a terrific left-foot shot from 25 yards inside the far post after an hour. Bisson, the club's leading goalscorer this season, scored his 20th of the campaign after a brilliant Tristram Morgan pass in the 72nd minute. And, after Rihoy's consolation, substitute MacNab hit a delightful half-volley two minutes from time as Vale supporters popped the champagne corks behind the goal at the training pitch end.

Captain Jody Bisson lifted the Priaulx League trophy above his head at 9.25pm, ending 10 years of hurt at the Corbet Field.