Sylvans clash is Tardif's biggest yet

GEOFF TARDIF rates tomorrow's clash with Sylvans as the most important match of his time in football. The fixture is the proverbial six-pointer as North currently lie five points behind the Priaulx leaders with a game in hand

'I would rate this as the biggest game in my time in football. I know that sounds ridiculous after the Saints game at the end of last season, but there is a lot of emphasis on this game. This is certainly, for Geoff Tardif and North, a massive game,' he said.

'We have got Saints Saturday and Bels the Wednesday after, so we have got a hell of a schedule coming up, but there is not much point in looking forward to those games if we lose this one.

Tardif was once again crossing his fingers last night that those under-18 players in his first team squad came through the club's Youth One fixture with Rangers unscathed.

If no injury problems occurred at Northfield yesterday, the Priaulx coach said he expected three or four of the youngsters to start against Sylvans.

It is the fifth time the sides have met this season and although North put the westerners out of the FletcherSports Guernsey FA Cup, the chocolate-and-blues have claimed just one league point off their rivals from three previous encounters.

'We know they are quite an aggressive side and physically they have got the edge on us, but football-wise we can live with anybody, hence the cup finals we are in with a couple of semi-finals to go,' Tardif said.

'I think they will worry about us as much as we will worry about them.'

Joel Avery will be without Ian Potter and Richard Davey, who are both away, so Ben Hewlett will step into defence and Craig Mollet will play in goal.

The Sylvans coach hopes that Neil Clegg will be fit after the striker hobbled off in the Condor Ferries Cup game on Saturday with an ankle problem.

'It is a big game although it is more of a must-win for them than it is for us,' Avery said.

'If we lose it we will be in trouble because they will be two points off us with a game in hand. I would be happy with a draw but, of course, I would rather a win - an eight-point lead would be quite a boost for us psychologically.'

In tomorrow's other Priaulx League match, third plays fourth when St Martin's host Vale Rec at Blanche Pierre Lane in an intriguing battle for a Wheway Cup place.

A home victory would put Saints six points clear of their opponents but a Rec win would put them above Saints on goal difference with a game in hand.

n?Mac Gallienne wants his Rangers side to continue the momentum gained from their 3-1 victory over Rovers and climb up the Priaulx League table.

The red-and-blacks are now three points behind the Port Soif club with a game in hand following Sunday's result at St Andrew's.

'We played particularly well and never looked threatened,' Gallienne said.

'I was happy with Shane Billien up front although, to be fair, we did well all over the park. It was a good team performance.'

A points tally of just six so far is far from what Gallienne would have liked in February but it has been a frustrating season for the coach.

'We are a lot better than that but we are fighting a losing battle with not having the players,' he said.

'We have got such a small squad that if we lose two or three players, we struggle. On the whole, though, I am very pleased with the way it is going at the moment.

'Our main aim at the start of the season was to get off the bottom of the league. That is still our aim now and we are capable of doing it.'