North secure deserved win

NORTH deservedly claimed the Norman Piette Youth Three championship in fine style at Northfield last week with a 3-2 win against closest rivals Belgrave Wanderers. A late winner from James Mullen secured the title for Bobby Loaring's boys after the blue-and-whites gave them a scare on their home patch that was filled with chocolate-and-blue fans.

Brady Lesbirel cracked in a 25-yard free kick for Bels to give them an interval lead. Matt Loaring equalised soon after the break and Nigel Hutton rifled the ball home to put North into the lead. Bels levelled again with a fine goal from Lesbirel, but with the final whistle looming young Mullen flicked the ball into the net in a cluttered area to send the crowd into raptures.

Three days later the same squad visited Blanche Pierre Lane and showed their class with a 10-0 win against Saints. Substitute Loaring (3), Jamie Le Cheminant (2), Rene Brun (2), Scott Bougourd (2) and Mullen completed the rout.

In the same league, Bels beat Vale Rec. 2-0, with Rob Williams and Todd Ogier both finding the net.

Last Saturday Belgraves won the Norman Piette Youth Two league with a comfortable 5-2 win against their nearest challengers, Vale Rec.

Billy Page was again the hero with two opportunist strikes and teammates Steve Le Lerre, Karl Bisson and centre back Naro Zimmerman completed the scoring.

Mark Ramsden and Ben Ferbrache replied for Vale Rec.

It is the first time in 22 years that the Track-based team has secured the title. Bels will now play in the under-16 Upton (John Leatt Memorial Trophy) in Guernsey on Sunday 25 April.

Neil Totty has done a superb job with these lads this season because only last week he also guided his youngsters into the final of the Normandie Cup.

Inevitably, it was Page who won them the game with two blistering strikes to beat North 2-1. Jamie Le Cheminant notched the goal for North and Bels will now meet Sylvans or Rovers in the final.

Our under-11 Muratti team sadly went down 5-0 in Jersey last weekend. Coach Joe Bailey expressed his disappointment at not being able to offer Jersey a better game.

'The Jersey lads were much bigger and stronger than us and we were easily knocked off the ball, but it was an experience for our youngsters and some of them will appear in future Murattis one day I hope.'

North's Youth One squad need only three points from their last three games to retain the championship after beating St Martin's 3-1 at Blanche Pierre Lane on Tuesday.

After heaping praise on the North junior set-up all season I had the audacity to criticise the club last week for their failure to fulfil a Youth One fixture, but that does not stop me being a fan of the way they play.

Micky Le Prevost's team will win the title simply because they have the best all-round team, but in the first half I was disappointed with their play because they played down the centre of the pitch and gave the ball away too much.

In the second period they used the whole pitch to great effect with Craig Young and young Glyn Dyer causing havoc in the Saints defence.

Goals from Jack Isabelle, Blake Smith and Sam Matthews sealed a comfortable win for North in their quest to retain the trophy.