North: 'We won't be panicking if we lose'

MICK LE PREVOST is refusing to panic as his North team face Bels tonight having lost 3-0 to Sylvans last week. North are currently six points clear at the top of the Priaulx from second placed Sylvans and seven points ahead of Bels who are in third. Defeat this evening at Northfield would really open up the title race and start some alarm bells ringing for the chocolate-and-blues.

It could all look reminiscent of the 2003-4 season when they blew an 11-point lead at the start of March that year to lose the title to St Martin's.

'I'm not going to panic because there's still a lot of football to go and everyone is going to take points off each other,' said North coach Le Prevost yesterday.

'We look forward to every game. We're plodding along and we're still in a good position.

'Bels and Sylvans have still got to play each other twice.'

Le Prevost's only injury worry for tonight's big game is defender Ollie McKenzie who could be out with a back problem. He has decided not to start his son, Alex, in the centre of midfield after he played twice over the weekend in the UK for the under-18 island team in the South and West Counties Championships.

Captain Darren Martin will move up from defence into central midfield with Paul Page coming in at centre back.

'We should be all right. The only doubt is Ollie - he's suffering big time,' said Le Prevost yesterday.

'My nipper is on the bench because he played on Saturday and Sunday and he's got training tonight. It's too much for an 18-year-old to have three games in four days. I'll play Darren in midfield because he can play anywhere.

'Kyle Stone is back but naturally he's been a bit rusty. His fitness needs to come on but it won't take long.'

Centre forward Jon Veron has been a makeshift winger all season but now Stone is back, his position looks under threat.

Some argue that Veron's form has dipped since being moved out to the right flank.

However, Le Prevost was quick to defend his island star.

'Jon hasn't been playing his best football at the moment and he'd be the first to say that, but he's still a very good footballer,' he said.

'It's like Wayne Rooney in the Premiership. He wasn't doing very well but now he's back scoring goals.'

For tonight, Bels welcome back Mick de la Haye, Brent Marquand and Paul Ramsden after they missed their team's 2-1 victory over Vale Rec at the weekend.

Coach Micky Ogier is still without Ben Coulter, Billy Page and Paul O'Neill who are all out with long-term injuries.

Also unavailable is Sam Cochrane who is in the UK on a work course, but the centre back is reportedly returning to the island in time for Bels' FA Cup quarter-final with Sylvans on Saturday.

Continued from back page

'We've got most of the lads back but we're still not at full strength, with the other boys injured,' said Ogier.

'The boys are up for it. We were short on Saturday and we got a result.

Bels captain Leighton Chainey sees the game, that kicks off at 7.30pm at Northfield, as crucial.

'It's a must-win game,' he said.

'If we don't beat them, then neither we nor Sylvans can win the league.'