Paul's double whammy

PAUL OCKLEFORD faces a stressful double-header on Saturday. The coach will oversee his Guernsey under-16 side who face Berkshire & Buckinghamshire in the South & West Counties Championships before his island U-18 team take on the county in the Mick Parry knockout cup.

Both are taking place at Newbury Football Club, with the U-16s' match kicking off at 11am followed by the U-18s at 2pm.

'It's going to be very busy, very hectic and I hope we win them both,' said Ockleford.

The U-16s island team are looking to notch up their first win of the season in the S&WCC.

At the start of October and after having lost the lead twice at The Track, they ended up drawing 2-2 with Dorset.

Then a week later at Blanche Pierre Lane, they went down 3-0 to a strong Gloucestershire outfit.

'We had two good opportunities early on against Gloucestershire and, if they had gone in, it would have been a different game,' said Ockleford.

'On Saturday, the players need to be positive and up for it. We believe in them and if they believe in themselves a bit more and are positive, we'll get something out of it.

'Berks & Bucks always turn out a good side. They've got a lot of choice.'

The U-16s go into the match without Etienne Le Prevost, who is out for some time with a broken leg.

Rovers midfielder Daniel Ozanne has been drafted into the squad.

For their match, the U-18s are without defenders Miles Pengelley, who is suffering with an ankle injury, and Garry Dodd, who misses out through suspension.

Saints' Wing Kin Lai and Danny Giles of North have been brought in.

The older team will also be without any U-16 players due to child protection laws which do not allow juniors to play two matches in a day.

The U-18s came up against Middlesex in the one match they have played so far this season.

Despite turning in a good performance, they lost 2-1 after their opponents were awarded a controversial penalty. Middlesex recently faced Bucks & Berks and came away the resounding victors.

Ockleford is refusing to look too deeply into that result.

'Middlesex U-18s played Bucks & Berks U-18s and won 5-0, but that means nothing,' he said.

'They might swap three or four players and that might make them a different team. You just don't know.

'Both are important games but obviously the U-18s is in a knockout. We need a win.'