Sarnians aim for a treble

GUERNSEY'S senior netballers will be hoping to clinch a hat-trick of wins over their Jersey counterparts in this weekend's inter-insulars at Fort Regent. Player-coach Sonia Grant-Yendell said it would be the 'icing on the cake' to make it three out of three since she took over the role, but she is under no illusion as to how tough it will be to beat a well-prepared Jersey side.

'We have not had the regularity this season that I would have liked, really,' she said.

'We have lost players to pregnancy and injury and we have had to compensate for that.'

The Sarnians will start their defence of the trophy with a mixture of young blood and experience.

'If we keep our shape, I think it will be very tight and supporters should see a very good game.

'We have had to use a lot of young players this season but they have stepped up to the plate and done really well. Jersey were in the same situation last year, but they will be peaking together now and we are still really trying to build our rapport.'

Grant-Yendell is hopeful that the senior B side can repeat the previous year's victory.

'We have been really lucky with the quality in the side - Anna Trump has been very reliable in front of goal and Gemma Loveridge has stepped up. Both have come on in leaps and bounds and I hope they can lead at each end.'

The U18s face a tough task, with England international Serena Guthrie in the Jersey side.

'She is one to watch out for, but the U18s learned a lot from their defeat last year and they did not like being beaten on their own patch, so they are really up for it this time.'

As well as senior A and B games, the U18s, U12s, U13s and Over-35s will all get their chance to take on Jersey in what promises to be a very close and hotly contested tournament.