Rec face their second top-of-the-table clash
VALE REC need to build on the momentum of their midweek victory against Sylvans as they go straight into another top-of-the-table clash tomorrow.
That is according to coach Mark Romeril, whose side beat the Westerners 2-0 on Tuesday thanks to goals in either half from Marlon Jardim and Jacques Wilcox.
‘By far and away our best performance of the season, which doesn’t take much,’ said Romeril.
‘At the start of the game, we gave them a few home truths, really. We just said, “look, enough of the excuses, enough of that, we’ve not been good enough”.
‘Yes, there’s lots of reasons for it, but at some point you’ve got to stop making excuses as players and you’ve got to take accountability.
‘The team we put out was a team that were going to give 100% and I think that’s exactly what they did. You don’t get the collective team performance unless you get the individuals on it. The two go hand in hand.
‘They battled really well and two good goals. I think they fully deserved the win.’
Sylvans had gone into the game as league leaders and played some good football at times, but Romeril felt his side’s big-game experience was a key factor in their win.
‘They’re an improving side, there’s no doubt about it, but we have got experience and we’ve got a good record, I think we’ve only lost one game against them in about three years, and we reminded the boys of that at the start,’ he said.
‘So they’re getting a tougher and tougher nut to crack because they are improving and they’ve got energy about themselves, but I think when we’re at that level, anywhere near what we were last season, then we’re going to be tough to play against and I think that’s what we were.
‘But like I said, that's probably the first time really this season that we’ve found that sort of that sort of level.’
However, Rec remain second in the FNB Priaulx League table on goal difference, with St Martin’s now at the summit following their 7-0 victory over Bels on the same night.
The new top two meet tomorrow at Blanche Pierre Lane in the second match of a Super Saturday top-flight double-header, with Rovers meeting Sylvans earlier in the afternoon.
‘We should have beaten Rovers a couple of weeks ago – we gave that away – so we needed to start beating the teams in the top four and that’s what we’ve done [against Sylvans], so it’s a good start,’ said Romeril.
‘But it’s only one game and obviously Saints coming up, that’ll be another big test.
‘I think you’re going to get a lot of [top of the table clashes] this season because I think the top five or the top four are all going to be in and around each other, so they’re all going to take points off each other.
‘It’s interesting for neutrals I suppose,’ he added with a wry grin.
North are also in action tomorrow as they welcome St Brelade to Northfield for their Jeremie Cup quarter-final.
Saturday's fixtures
Jeremie Cup – Northerners v St Brelade, noon, Northfield.
FNB Priaulx League – Rovers v Sylvans, 2pm, Port Soif; St Martin’s v Vale Rec, 5pm, Blanche Pierre Lane.
