THE senior Island netball side face one of their most crucial tests in the SouthWest Premier League this weekend according to coach Ally Meredith.

Jersey’s J United team face Old Chelts at 1.45 pm on Sunday and Meredith said: ‘They were promoted from the parallel league to us into this division so hopefully as they’ve only won one match this season we’ll have a reasonably comfortable win.

This will be one of the most important games of the season because if we can beat them then that’s proving that we are the best promoted team.’

It also means, no doubt, that Jersey would be certain to avoid relegation if they secure a win over Old Chelts, the team at the bottom of the league as, following the withdrawal of GD Builders, only one team will be demoted.

At 4.15 pm Jersey then take on Plymouth Pilgrims who they lost to just over a month ago although the opposition do now have two key players in a battle for fitness.

According to newspaper ‘The Herald’ (www.thisisplymouth.co.uk), Pilgrims are uncertain that either shooter Hayley Gullick or ‘influential defender’ Vicky Chudley will be ready in time – wing defence Kerry MacArthur is also said to be out due to work commitments.

Meredith however, is able to take 11 players over to Bournemouth, Jersey’s home ground for the season, for the two matches and added: ‘We had a few players missing last time we played Plymouth and it was the first weekend we were really short of players; it was a real struggle.

We just missed out on bonus points then, losing 51-44, but now with 11 players travelling I think we can beat them.

‘They’re looking like one of the strongest teams this year and we’re looking forward to getting another bite of the cherry.

We’ll be trying to manage our way through the two games a bit better and get away from the two-game mentality but that only works when we have a big enough squad so that they can play with all their heart.

This is the first time we’ve been able to take 11 in a while and I think we can do that on Sunday.’

This weekend Meredith will be ably assisted with his coaching duties by St Clement’s Maureen Cox, who was part of the Jersey set-up last year in which Jersey were unbeaten to gain promotion into the Premier League.

‘This year’s been a nice challenge,’ added Meredith.

‘Last year in the end with us being so well organised it became a little bit too easy although it was fantastic to end the season undefeated.

Now we are being pushed every game and it has brought back the passion to our matches and the players are loving every minute of it.

‘Morale is still high because playing at this level and realising that we can live with these teams and also win a couple of games is such an achievement.

It certainly bodes well for the future and for our game against Guernsey in the inter-insular in March – we’re really looking forward to that.’

J United: Jenna Meredith (captain), Carol McKeon, Laura Macfarlane, Sophie Hickey, Jacy Brown, Sarah Thatcher, Lynsey Pitman, Laura Beeston, Sharon West, Nicole Goddard, Emma CarrŽ.