Guernsey can take belief from under-18s - Allen

The 16-man squad for the Springfield clash features players from four different local clubs, including nine from Sylvans, four from North, two from Rangers and one from St Martin’s.

Allen has also named six U15 players in the travelling squad, with his young Sarnians looking to avenge last year’s 3-0 defeat at the Corbet Field in the same fixture.

GFC’s all-time top goalscorer was in the dugout for the 2022 game as he joined Dave Gilman in assisting Stewart Moyles, who has taken a step away from the set-up this time around.

• Podcast: Listen to an extended interview with Guernsey U16 coach Ross Allen on this week's Guernsey Press Football Podcast

‘It’s going to be really exciting for me being the other side of that white line after playing in so many Muratti fixtures over the years. You see it from a different angle, a different point of view and you just get excited for the players, so I am really looking forward to the experience,’ said Allen.

‘I was happy to make the step up and give it my first go at taking the lead, and I have really enjoyed working with Dave and the lads over the last few months in the academy environment as we have worked towards preparing and picking a squad for the big match.’

Jersey were triumphant in all of last year’s age-group Murattis as well as the senior games, but Guernsey are currently one up in 2023 after winning the Under-18 Muratti earlier in the month.

‘I was one of those who was not overly concerned with what happened last year, these are always one-off games and we always know that they can come down to fine margins.

'While some of the results were not as close as they seemed, there were definitely a couple that could have gone the other way had moments been different.

‘This year’s U18 Muratti has probably given everybody the belief that winning these games is doable, and I was so proud of the way they came back from 2-0 down at half-time because it is not easy at all – they all stuck to the plan, did their jobs and got their rewards, so huge credit to them.’

Jack Griffin, who scored in the U18 Muratti, is included in the squad for tomorrow’s game, as well as North first-team player Archie Le Huray, who also featured off the bench.

‘Some of our U16 lads were involved in that game so have now won and lost a Muratti and know what it means, so hopefully they can feed that on to some of the other boys and help them through the experience.

‘Being a part of these games is what it is all about, no matter what happens, so it should be a great day.

‘We are going to have to take into account that this is an away game, so there will be a lot of pressure and expectation on the home side, and from all the trips I have done with Guernsey FC I know that away games are hard, so we have to factor that into the planning and preparation of it all and get the players into that mindset, so they are ready to be in an environment they are not used to.’

The Nigel Gavey Memorial Trophy kicks off at 12.30pm tomorrow at Springfield.

Guernsey under-16 squad:

Archie Le Huray, Ben Wilson, Emerson Nobes, Finley Patterson, Gilbert Hunter, Harry Hodgson, Harvey Migasiuk, Henry Marsh, Jack Griffin, Jimmy Montgomery, Leon Solano, Louis Mayor, Mackenzie Duckworth, Ollie Miller, Sam Cooley, Zach Gilman.