Lesser lights of Rihoy family making a mark

TALK about the name Rihoy in local football and most thoughts turn to Northfield where island star Dave does his stuff. But across the road at the Corbet Field, the rest of the family is gaining a rapidly-improving reputation.

Dave's brothers, Marc and John, have had a good week. On Wednesday in the Stranger Cup, they inflicted a first domestic defeat on Bels for more than a year.

And 24 hours later, the two were key players in a defeat of St Martin's which earned Vale Rec a place in the Mauger Cup final.

Marc, the eldest of the brothers, scored the first goal in the 3-1 victory with a cracking left-foot volley which rounded off a move started by young John.

The boys are yellow and green through and through, but there are obviously no problems with their brother starring just a few yards across Grand Fort Road.

Marc, 22, added: 'We've never thought about leaving to join him: we really enjoy it here.'

Both lads are keen to support the middle sibling whether he is wearing chocolate and blue or green and white and will watch him regularly, as does their dad, John, who is a regular fixture at matches.

The boys revealed that if they all happened to be playing at the same time, their father would often spend one half at one game and move at half-time to catch up with the other.

I asked them what they thought of Dave, famously dubbed not so long ago 'the best player in the Channel Islands'.

To be honest, I was hoping that they'll say that he's not even the best player in his own house, but the brothers are too kind for that.

They obviously think highly of him, though Marc admitted, 'he's had a bit of a dip in form recently - but at the start of the season he was fantastic'.

The three Rihoys are all similar players - obviously they honed skills together in the back garden as lads - equally capable of playing up front or in wide positions and blessed with pace.

Both John and Marc say they prefer to play up front, where Marc has earned a regular spot in the Vale Priaulx side this year on his return after breaking a leg last year.

John, a Spurs fan who works as an apprentice gas engineer, made his Priaulx debut off the bench against Rovers in December.

Though he was generally used as a wide man in his youth days, this season he has often been found in attack in the Jackson.

'I think it's better for me: you get more time on the ball and I feel happier up there.'

His aim eventually is to claim a regular Priaulx place. 'Then I'll work my way up from there.'

Liverpool fan Marc, a marine engineer, claimed a Priaulx League medal when Rec took the title in 2003, but had a setback with his leg break last season.

It was not the first time he had picked up a serious injury.

The only time he has ever lined up alongside Dave, in the 2004 under-21 Muratti, he lost teeth in an ugly clash early on and had to be substituted.

'The only time we've played together and I lasted about five minutes,' he said.

Vale Rec. coach Chris Hamon is delighted at the progress of the Rihoys.

'They are coming on very well,' he said. 'Marc has a bit more senior experience, but John's been sitting on the Priaulx bench this season picking up things and he's got the makings of a good player.

'They are very quick, very enthusiastic, honest lads.'

The lads' ambitions for the rest of the season are quite clear - silverware. A Stranger, Mauger and even an FA Cup winners' medal - and a Muratti winner's medal for their brother.