Wallbridge hits hat-trick as Sylvans coast to win

Vale Rec. 1, Sylvans 5

SYLVANS gave impressive notice that they want the Priaulx trophy back in the cabinet at St Peter's. A hat-trick from Carl Wallbridge and two Matt Warren goals barely told the story of a one-sided affair as the reds brushed aside their opponents yesterday evening.

While title-challengers North were disposing of Rangers just across Grand Fort Road, the westerners were making Vale Rec. look distinctly ordinary.

It was far from a vintage performance from the home side, but the manner of Sylvans' victory was utterly convincing.

'We played five across the middle and I wanted them to be fluid. And it worked: there was so much movement and Vale Rec. couldn't get near us,' said coach Joel Avery.

'We're two yards off the pace, two yards off our men, and can't string passes together,' was Chris Hamon's verdict just after half-time and his side did not really get any better.

'We getting through plenty of work, but it's in the wrong places and for the wrong reasons,' Hamon added.

There was more worry for the coach at the end of the first half when Jamie Blondel had to be carried off with an injured right knee following a crunching, but fair, block tackle by Nobes. Thankfully, he was walking, albeit gingerly, after the final whistle.

At the centre of everything good for Sylvans was Steve Brehaut, surely the most accomplished midfielder in the island on current form. With possession, he produced an elegant yet simple pass. But when chasing opponents, his tackling was as strong as anyone's.

Wallbridge fully deserved his treble for one of his best performances in a long while. Some of the Sylvans faithful in the stands were joking that he may have needed a dope test after scoring so assuredly, but he was brilliantly clinical in the area.

His first was a snap, first-time shot that flew past Jody Bisson's left hand; the second a low pass into the net to round off an incisive team break three-quarters the length of the field; and his third, after half-time, a sliding finish from Matt Drillot's inviting right-wing cross.

Between numbers two and three, Warren added a couple of his own: a brutal follow-up after John Nobes had headed against a post, and a calmly-taken penalty, awarded when the flying Matt Le Cras had his ankles tapped on the left edge of the box.

Vale hit a consolation late on from the spot, Gareth Holden netting. It followed a tussle between Nobes and substitute Brent Blondel, never the most friendly of opponents on the pitch.

The ball and, indeed, the players had run off over the by-line when the wrestling match occurred, but referee Mark Le Tissier deemed that the Sylvans defender had fouled his man.

So, can Sylvans win back the title?

'I jolly well hope so,' smiled Avery.