Moherndl strike sends Sylvans into top spot

Sylvans 1, Vale Rec 0

THE old adage that there is no substitute for class and experience was never truer as Sylvans battled their way to three ugly points and top spot in the table. They had both in spades at St Peter's, with John Nobes and Ian Potter dominant at the back and ahead of them Steve Brehaut, Paul Nobes and Tony Vance calling the tune.

But it was a 16-year-old who won the game.

Kris Moherndl, promoted from the Youth One side in the absence of Neil Clegg and Adie Exall, scored the only goal of the game after 53min. and punchless Vale were buried.

That said, the visitors were a shade unlucky to be denied an equaliser when young Richard Davey flapped at a cross under his crossbar and pushed the ball into the net.

Luckily for Sylvans, referee Matt Walsh, who had a generally excellent game to keep a lid on an always spicy encounter, baled out the keeper who had come into contact with a Vale player in going up for the ball.

Vale badly missed the skill and vision of the injured Trim Morgan.

They huffed and puffed but had nobody to match the guile of Vance and Paul Nobes in attack.

After a dreadful first half most notable for regular stoppages and a flare-up between Craig Le Prevost and Brent Blondel, who were at each other's throats most of the match, Nobes set up the decisive goal.

Having won space on the byline, he picked out Moherndl lurking on the edge of the six-yard box and the youngster rifled home with his favoured left foot.

Nobes might have scored himself a few minutes later, but having brilliantly controlled a high ball and accelerated between a couple of defenders, he pulled his shot horribly wide.

The mercurial winger also set up Le Prevost with a fine pass, but with all the time in the world, the big midfielder shot against the far post.

Sylvans never looked like surrendering the advantage even though John Nobes limped off with a quarter of the game left, finally succumbing to an ankle injury picked up in the opening minutes.

Joel Avery hopes to have his centre-back fit when they play Vale Rec in the quarter-finals of the Fletcher Sports Guernsey FA Cup in a fortnight.

'He's tweaked his ankle but we've got a 10-day break now and he should be okay for the next game,' said Avery, who heaped particular praise on Vance and Carl Wallbridge.

'Carl's a sensation at the moment,' he said.

Of Vance, who is playing in an unaccustomed deep-midfield position, Avery said: 'He's playing in a role he's not used to, but he's doing very well doing the tackling and the ugly bits of football.'