Guernsey coach Kelly confident ahead of U16 Muratti
GUERNSEY U16s will be looking to regain the Nigel Gavey Trophy tomorrow afternoon as they welcome Jersey to the Track for their age-group Muratti.
Jordan Kelly is taking charge of his third inter-island fixture of the season and says it would be ‘huge’ for his group of players to win the trophy for the first time in seven years.
‘We are all really looking forward to it,’ said the head coach.
Emerson Nobes, Sam Cooley, Fin Patterson and Tyrese Kelly, who were all in the U18 Muratti team earlier in the year, are in this weekend’s 18-man squad, while Star Trophy captain Seb Mourant also makes the cut.
‘We have such an exciting squad and we have a real variety of players, too.
‘I think our preparation has been really good – we had a successful tour earlier in the season and the intensity has picked up a lot in the last few weeks ahead of the game.
‘Since the start of the season we have trained every other week, so we have been able to work with this group for a long time and they are a really talented group.
‘Four of the lads were involved in the U18 Muratti earlier in the season and a lot of them played in the Star Trophy last year, but they have not tasted victory before so winning this would be massive.
‘It is all about belief – some of them have had good exposure at senior level before which will have given them experience at a higher level, and we have a very strong collective group, so I am definitely confident.’
The U16 Muratti kicks off at 12.30pm on Sunday at the Track.
