Siam Cup: Landick expects ‘hostile’ reception from Guernsey

Siam Cup 2019. Picture: JON GUEGAN

The Jersey Reds Athletic head coach foresees a difficult outing for his travelling squad as they attempt to claim a ninth Siam Cup victory in ten years in front of a crowd made up almost entirely of Sarnians.

A change of kick-off time – to accommodate Guernsey FC’s lunchtime fixture – and unfavourable travel schedules mean there are likely to be very few Jersey fans on the sidelines.

Landick has been troubled by injuries this week but he has been able to call upon the services of four Jersey Reds professionals.

Homegrown hooker Harry Doolan is set for his Siam Cup debut, while Max Ayling, Will Lane and Bader Pretorius also drop down from Harvey Biljon’s squad.

In recent years Jersey agreed to field only professionals with three years’ residency, to even the playing field, but Guernsey’s rise to semi-professional status has resulted in that rule being abandoned.

Nonetheless, Ayling and Lane, both 21, have played for Athletic this season – as they await their Championship debuts – while Pretorius has just returned from a loan spell with National One side Chinnor.

‘We’ve not gone with eligibility rules this year, but we’ve not gone and loaded the side with professionals who could have played for the first team,’ Landick explained.

‘We’re not going out of our way to put ringers in there left, right and centre. We’ve gone with guys who have been playing for Athletic this season and want to use this as a building block to get into the professional side. One is a Jersey boy and two of them are only 21 and have never played in the Championship.

‘But I don’t want to get caught up in the politics.’

Full Siam Cup preview in Friday’s JEP.

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