Holden double sinks fading champions

St Martin's 0, Vale Rec 2

VALE REC clawed their way back into the Priaulx League title race with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory over St Martin's at a bitingly cold Blanche Pierre Lane on Saturday. Two first-half goals from the impressive Gareth Holden secured all three points and dented the Channel Islands champions chances of retaining their much-prized crown.

Whilst the visitors gave a workmanlike performance sorry Saints suffered a pre-Christmas hangover.

The biggest compliment to pay an under strength Vale Rec is that they did not miss the hugely influential Trim Morgan, although had he been playing he would probably have dealt more misery on St Martin's.

Jamie Ogier produced a storming display in central midfield and the defence behind him were equally outstanding after their midweek horror show in the Stranger Cup final.

Saints coach Colin Renouf was urging his troops to liven up as early as the fifth minute, but they never answered his call and simply never woke up.

Only Dominic Heaume and Lee Renouf showed any bite and endeavour for his side, who badly let him down.

The visitors went ahead after only eight minutes when ex Man City schoolboy Holden headed home from close range after the Saints defence failed to deal with a long throw by Stuart Bisson.

Then 11 minutes later, he hit a sublime and venomous right-footed shot from just outside the area to double his tally and make it 2-0.

Dominic Heaume should have reduced the deficit, but somehow failed to apply the finishing touch after Jody Bisson did well to parry away an Alfredo Nicolas effort.

Vale Rec showed much more hunger and desire than their opponents and looked sharper all over the park.

Whispers at Blanche Pierre Lane suggested that Alex Hunter had been left to warm the substitutes bench after being disciplined for a recent sending off.

On 37 minutes Ogier headed Jason Sarahs' cross narrowly wide and then shot just past the post with a minute of the half remaining.

Just a minute into the second period, Holden was denied a hat-trick when his header from Ogier's cross was brilliantly tipped over the bar by James Robert.

Saints, who were missing Kevin Gilligan with a hamstring injury, sent on Hunter and Adam Heaume to bolster their attack, but they did not trouble the visitors.

There were few goalscoring chances in the second half and Robert saved well from Dave McNab with five minutes remaining.

'I thought they battled very well. It was a good team effort and we could have scored two or three more, but I'm very pleased,' said delighted Vale Rec supremo Chris Hamon.

'We did not have a full squad for all sorts of reasons but I thought we deserved the win today,' he said.

'I said to the players before the game that if we can win all of our games and other teams take points off each other we are still in the hunt.'

'If we can keep playing football and taking our chances, we are as good as anybody and I'm quietly confident we can be there or thereabouts,' he said.

'I have to say that at the start of the season, when I saw the names of the players at the club I was very confident.'

Honest-as-ever Saints boss Colin Fallaize was spot on with his appraisal of the match.

'We are very disappointed. It was not a particularly good game but they were definitely three points better than us today. We got exactly what we deserved and that was sod all,' he said.