Rovers plot a shock
JEZ ROBIN will be hoping the ‘unfamiliarity card’ will make the difference when Rovers take on mighty St Paul’s in tomorrow’s Upton Park Trophy clash at the Track.
The Jersey champions have won four successive CI titles, including last year’s 3-0 victory over Robin’s men at Springfield and a 5-1 triumph over the Guernsey side in a Wheway Cup tie at the start of September.
But that was pre-Canha, pre-Fazakerley and with Muratti-capped Kez Mahon and Glyn Dyer also absent that late summer day when Rovers trailed by just one at the break, Robin believes that his new team are better equipped this time around.
Many would say much more so and Robin wants a repeat of last Saturday’s performance which proved too good for St Martin’s.
‘Carlos and “Faz’’ will make a difference and at the start of the season we were starting to go through a transition.
‘We were 1-0 up at half-time, should have been more, but then Boyle ripped us apart. He was good.
‘But we weren’t disappointed with it. The second half we should have scored three or four, we had really good chances.
‘We look forward to tomorrow definitely, although I see there was a tweet going around today that of the Jersey Muratti squad 10 of them were St Paul’s players.
‘But St Peter have run them close a couple of times and we only lost to them on penalties when we weren’t at our strongest.
‘It will be good.’
Twelve months ago, Rovers were still in it at 0-1 down deep into the game before two goals in the final 11 minutes took the game away from them.
Other than the injured Sam Hall, Rovers will be at full strength tomorrow.
Kick off is at 1pm, followed at 5pm by an Island XI v. visiting Upton Park FC in Guernsey’s final Muratti warm-up game.
