Dor Prem side to face Guernsey in National League semi (From Bournemouth Echo)

Dor Prem side to face Guernsey in National League semi

5:19pm Wednesday 17th February 2010 in

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DORSET Premier League representative side manager Steve Norman admits his team face a huge battle to keep their dreams of European football alive.

The division’s finest have been drawn away to Guernsey on Saturday, March 27 in the FA National League Systems Cup semi-final.

The victors will earn a spot in the final against the Yorkshire Old Boys League or the winners of the tie between the Liverpool County Premier League and the Cambridge County League.

With the final reportedly taking place at Wembley in early May, and the winners earning a spot in the UEFA Regions Cup, Norman admits he would have rather been given an easier draw on home turf.

But having left the Channel Islands with a 1-0 triumph over competition favourites Jersey in the last round, Norman is confident his men have what it take to defeat their island hosts.

He said: “Guernsey will be very similar to Jersey – well-organised and they’ve got very good technical players.

“It’s the highest league on the island, so it’s not going to be an easy draw.

“I didn’t really want an away game. But we’ll try and get prepared for it and we’ve got six or seven weeks now.

“We won’t be going out on the Saturday this time – we’ll be going out on the Friday night.

“I did feel the players got tired towards the end of the game last time due to being up so early in the morning.

“I feel we’ve got a good chance having beaten Jersey, but it’s all going to come down to what happens on the day.”

Norman added: “We will be going over to look at a couple of Guernsey league fixtures in the next couple of weeks.

“It’s a very serious stage of the competition with a final at Wembley beckoning in early May, so we want to be ready for them.”