JERSEY manager Dave Matthews has a squad meeting this weekend to discuss the season ahead with his players.

With the Under-21 Jersey Football Tournament silverware tucked away in the JFA’s trophy cabinet, the Jersey squad will now be setting their sights on glory in the forthcoming South-West Counties Championship.

Sadly Jersey have lost a couple of games this season as Sussex moved into Group B following the withdrawal of Wiltshire and now the Island has been dealt another blow as Devon have withdrawn from Group A.

‘Both counties have withdrawn because of a lack of funds and regional clubs being unhappy to release their players at weekends for games,’ said JFA official Gill Morgan.

‘It’s disappointing, we were expecting four home matches this season but now we only have two.’ Manager Matthews said: ‘The management are looking forward to the season and hopefully the players are still buzzing following their recent U21 tournament success.

‘We will not train on Sunday morning at the IJ Bathe Field, I’m have a meeting to find out who will be available for the SWCC games.

‘If players can not make the meeting I want them to let me know.

A total of 24 are being invited and the squad in no means set in stone.

There will be opportunities for others to break into it if they are playing well.’ Jersey’s squad did the Island proud with five excellent performances in ten days during the U21 tournament in August and the weekend before it with two matches against England’s learning disabilities squad.

Now they will be eager to get back into the limelight with Jersey starting their campaign away to Cornwall on Saturday 15 October.

New faces in Matthews’ get together squad this weekend are Grouville striker Alex Jefferies and Jersey Scottish pair Paul Duxbury, who returns after a long spell out through injury, and defender Scott Devlin, who had a super season last year culminating in being named Scottish’s Players’ Player of the Year.

Jersey’s Group B home matches are against the RAF on 19 November and Gloucester on 11 February 2006.

Guernsey play in Group A against Sussex, Dorset, RAF and the Army.

Players unable to attend at 10.30 on Sunday should contact Dave Matthews, telephone 07797 719073.