North are the team to beat for years to come

THE coach of North's all-conquering Youth One side has warned other clubs to watch out. Mick Le Prevost believes that the chocolate-and-blues have the young talent at Northfield to dominate the Priaulx League for the next decade or longer.

'We have got some cracking players at North. The future of our club is absolutely superb - we could do what Sylvans did years ago,' he said.

'Even the kids coming through from Youth Three are quality.'

Le Prevost, six years a coach at North and father of one of the club's most outstanding young prospects in 16-year-old midfielder Alex, admits that he expected his squad to retain the Youth One title this season.

So many of the players have been involved over previous campaigns and there was an excellent mix of emerging talent and top-end players who were already Priaulx regulars.

Le Prevost reckons his young talent are outstanding and many of them, including Jamie Tolcher, Alex Le Prevost and John Loaring, have been getting an extended chance in the Youth One side.

'I reckon I could play the Youth Two team in the Youth One and compete to be in the top two,' he said.

The former St Martin's player started at North as a minis coach. Four years ago he took over

at youth level and has steered the same group of lads through to three consecutive Youth One titles, in a period when they have lost just two league games.

'It might help to lose a few games, but we don't do that.

'The ones I have lost are very disappointing, especially the Uptons in the last two years,' said Le Prevost.

In 2003 and last year North went down 3-1 to First Tower United.

Le Prevost still finds the second defeat hard to swallow.

'I've never seen a team play like that and lose the game. We were all over them.'

Well before they clinched the title earlier this week with another defeat of Rangers, Le Prevost was starting to focus on the Portsmouth Trophy match, last won by a Guernsey team (Vale Rec) in 1999 and last won by North in 1989.

'We need to make sure we get ourselves right for that. For some of these boys it will be their third time in an Upton and it would be nice for them to get that.'

Le Prevost cannot talk up his team enough, half of whom are Priaulx regulars.

'They're a great bunch of lads to work with. Their footballing ability is superb, far better than other clubs.'

The coach admits that he sometimes feels he has to go easy on opponents.

'I don't like to see kids getting demoralised when they're getting absolutely hammered.

'Sometimes I try to put out a younger team but we could still win seven or 8-0.

'But I take every game very seriously and approach each in exactly the same way.

'We like to play football,

keep the ball down and play it around.'

Le Prevost also praised his right-hand man, Grammar teacher Chris du Feu, who is also coach of the schools' Star Trophy squad.

'In the time that he's been here he's done a very good job,' he said.

'It's a lot of hard work but I enjoy it. As long as that happens I'll carry on doing it.'