Saints go for the kill minus Hunter
ON THE day his Rovers side could retain their title, coach Jez Robin admits he much prefers being the hunter than the hunted.
A year ago, Rovers did the hunting and achieved the final kill in the dying moments at Northfield.
This time, it is St Martin’s, finishing strongly, who are the predators to the extent that if you conducted a straw poll of FNB Priaulx League followers and asked them who will be lining up in next week’s Upton Park Trophy match, then the answer would probably be Saints.
With Dom Heaume now fully aboard and Kyle Smith finally charged up, Leon Meakin’s men are flying. They have the momentum.
Rovers, in contrast, have become increasingly dependant on Carlos Canha and flavour-of-the-month Will Fazakerley.
Robin admits it’s been hard lately.
‘I haven’t slept a lot this week,’ he said yesterday while announcing a full-strength squad, minus Sam Hall, who along with Canha had been their main conductor all winter long.
‘Last year was definitely easier,’ he says.
‘’There was no pressure as nobody expected it to happen.’
‘There’s more expectation now and and in the last month we’ve dropped points that we are disappointed with.’
Meakin will be without midfielder Louis Hunter, who is captaining the Island U21s basketball team in Jersey, but otherwise he has a full deck of cards to lay out at Port Soif where a draw plainly won’t do.
‘It’s unfortunate to lose Louis but we hadn’t had him for the last few games [because of suspension],’ he said.
‘Fortunately, we have got a big squad and we have managed to rest a few, save some legs and rotate in the last week or so.’
Meakin admits the convenient return of Heaume has been a big plus.
Heaume was key when Saints last won the title seven years ago, before heading off to a new challenge with the Green Lions.
Now, as that challenge tails off for the frontman, Saints are so much better for having him back.
‘He’s playing well himself, but also getting the best out of others around him, like Kyle.’
Meakin says the objective is clear.
‘We need to win it.
‘But the fact that we do have to win helps, because it is now the sole focus.’
Even if Saints do take all three points today, they would still need a point from their final game, at home to Vale Rec on Tuesday.
That’s not a given with Vale being a handful for anyone locally these days, but Saints fans would consider that bringing home just one more point as being comfortably within their reach.
Today’s game kicks off at 2pm.
Likely starting teams:
Rovers: Addison, McKane, Falla, Strawbridge, Graham; Batiste, Mahon, Howitt, Dyer; Fazakerley, Canha.
St Martin’s: Martin, King, Gallie, Le Tocq, Winch; O. Smith, Laine, Wilson, K. Smith, Heaume, Hale.
