Sylvans try ‘togetherness’
SYLVANS head to the Corbet Field tonight to take on the Rossborough Guernsey FA Cup holders Vale Rec, spirits lifted by a surprising 6-1 triumph over Alderney at the weekend.
It was a game which saw Martyn de Garis talking charge of the westerners while brother Paul, the new head coach at St Peter’s, was away briefly in the UK.
The stand-in was a contented man at the final whistle, not least having seen his son, Kyle, produce some welcome stability in goal on a short break from his UK Football CV academy studies, where he is pushing to catch the eyes of scouts.
Young de Garis was cool, vocal and impressive in the win over Alderney, which was not as comprehensive as the scoreline suggested.
It was, though, a massive improvement on the previous week’s horror display against Rangers, as Martyn de Garis admitted.
‘There was more togetherness today, we set them some tasks to do in the game and they did them.
‘That and with the work-rate, I thought they did really well.
‘They were passing the ball, which they didn’t do last week when it was a bit disjointed, today it was good and we played some good football at times.’
Sylvans, though, will have to make another change in goal, Kyle de Garis having gone back to England.
Nathan Legg will step in against a Rec side who will no doubt feel they should have got more than a point out of their 1-1 league draw against Manzur on Friday evening, Jody Bisson’s men having enjoyed the best of the chances in a dominant second half.
Rec, who beat the now defunct Formula FC to win their first domestic FA Cup last May, remain a side who seem capable of much more but, invariably, fire blanks in attack.
Sylvans have scored even fewer in the league, but looked a shade more threatening for having Jon Loaring back in their attack against Alderney.
In the other second round FA Cup tie tonight, Manzur will be strong favourites to overcome the Rovers Jackson side at Northfield.
Meanwhile, Jez Robin has admitted concern as to whether his first team have lost their edge.
After the champions went down 2-1 at home to Rangers on Saturday, Rovers have seen their lead trimmed to just three points, albeit with a game in hand.
‘I’ve told the lads the biggest thing they have got to fight is against complacency.
‘They need to buck their ideas up a bit.’
There is, though, some good news for Robin in that striker Will Fazakerley is set to return to training after nine weeks out with a chipped bone in a foot.
