Smith fit to face Saints
FORMER Saint Kyle Smith will be fit to lead the young and improving Sylvans side at Blanche Pierre Lane tonight when the FNB Priaulx League leaders look to rebound from the last-gasp loss at Port Soif.
Leon Meakin, the Saints coach, says he will make a couple of changes ‘just to freshen things up’, but he has no injuries ahead of what could be another tough game against a steadily improving side.
Meakin said the mood in the dressing room was one of frustration after seeing Rovers pick their pockets for the win in stoppage time.
‘It was frustration and a little bit of regret really.
‘Fin’s goal was world class but with the third one we should have avoided, a little bit of naivety on our part.
‘That was the frustration that we hadn’t seen it out.’
Having seen his young side rise impressively up the table into third, coach Martyn de Garis says just staying close to the the league’s pacesetters will be difficult.
‘It will be really tough for us, but we will go there prepared.
‘It’s just a case of hanging onto their coat-tails if we can.’
De Garis added it’s been a problem in managing his U18s busy schedules, with the pressure of three games across three divisions in three days – Priaulx on Saturday, Lancaster One on Sunday and a key Ravenscroft U18s game with North on the Monday.
‘We will sacrifice the Division One side a little but, but the U18s always seem to be caught like this.’
As for Smith, who banged another hat-trick to sink Alderney, his withdrawal from the action late on at St Peter’s was merely a precaution.
‘We took him off to save him for Tuesday.’
The other two midweek FNB Priaulx League games see Manzur head to the Corbet Field tomorrow night and Rovers face Belgraves at the Track in an enticing game on Friday night.
