Combination leaders Jersey Scottish will be looking to move three points clear at the top of the Division I table tonight.
The Scots oppose First Tower at Springfield, kick-off 7.30 pm, with Tower also eager to get points as they battle to pull themselves away from the second relegation spot which they currently occupy.Tower played last Saturday and reached the Somerset Cup quarter-finals for the first time while the Scots were last in action on 9 December when they beat Sporting Academics 17-1.Tower manager Dave Philpott has a big squad to choose from despite being without defender Scott Jones and midfielders Martin Higgins and Martin King because of suspension.’Several of the lads have not yet returned to university while a couple are also now back from injury,’ said Philpott.’Playing Scottish at this time of the year I believe is a good time to play them because many of their players have been away while we’ve trained right through Christmas and we had a game last weekend.’If I get the same commitment and attitude tonight as I did last weekend I’m confident we will get something from the game.
It won’t be easy but I think having a game under our belts from Saturday will favour us.’Tower defeated Scottish on a penalty shoot-out on their way to winning the JFA’s Charity Cup last August but Scottish bounced back to grab the league points just three days later winning 5-0 at La Hague Manor.Scottish manager Bob Kearsey said: ‘Tower seem to play better against the higher-placed teams so I’m taking nothing for granted tonight.
They are a young side, they work hard together and they play good football.’We have players missing for a variety of reasons including defender Gordon Brodie who had fallen ill today.
However I have a good team and bench for tonight and although we’ll be a bit rusty because of the Christmas break.’I’m hopeful we will do well.’Scottish have five games scheduled in the next 17 days and Kearsey says it’s a busy time but it will help his team get their fitness back quickly.Lee Harvey is expected to spearhead Scottish’s attack again tonight after scoring eight times in his team’s last match against the Accies.
