DESPITE losing their top-two goalkeepers this summer, Sporting Central Academy coach Vassell Reynolds does not expect that area to be their Achilles heel in this season’s National Premier League.

Sporting lost national Under-23 custodian Andre Blake to the University of Connecticut in the United States, while former national youth ‘keeper Jacomeno Barrett has returned to St James to link up with his hometown club Montego Bay United.

But Reynolds reckons last season’s third choice shot-stopper Tristan Huntley, along with new recruits Sanchez Lloyd and Gregory McKogg will thrive on the challenge to fill the void left by Blake and Barrett.

“Initially, we figured it was a big loss (losing) both Blake and Barrett at the same time,” said Reynolds. “It left us with a situation where we had capable replacements, but short of experience at the Premier League level.

“But, we are pretty satisfied that with some work the three ‘keepers we have here will eventually become pretty good replacements and that’s one of the reasons why I saw it necessary to bring in a goalkeeper coach in Mortimer Bennett to assist us in that department,” added Reynolds.

Huntley, who has quite a bit of premiership experience, has already been beaten twice in two games this season and is thought to be at fault in conceding at least one of Sporting’s goals in their 2-1 defeat at Portmore United on opening day.

But the former Denbigh High daCosta Cup player rebounded in fine style on Matchday Two against Village United by saving Troy Reid’s penalty, which proved crucial in helping Sporting to their first win of the season.

“Tristan has been with us for about three years, has some experience in the Premier League and that would have done a lot for his confidence,” noted Reynolds.

“He looks good in training and is improving all the time, but we are now urging him to carry over the training performances into the games.

“In the first game, he himself would admit that he made a couple of technical errors, which cost us at least a goal, but in the second game he kept very well and saved a penalty. We are confident in his ability to perform at this level.”

Sporting also have competent cover in former national U-20 net minder McKogg and former Original Hazard standout Lloyd.

McKogg was a standout for St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) in their last two daCosta Cup seasons, which earned him a place in the national youth set-up, but the former STETHS captain is untested at this level and will need a lot more work to fill Blake and Barrett’s gloves.

Said Reynolds of McKogg: “McKogg is, probably, the best that we have, technically, but he’s a bit rusty now and we are hoping with assistance from the goalkeeper coach he’ll regain his form in short order.”

Lloyd, a standout at the youth level in the past, has been out of the game for some time now, but the agile and flamboyant goalie appears to be finding form again at Sporting.

He was brilliant on debut against Arnett Gardens on Sunday, showing good command of the penalty area, while coming up with two important saves to deny Errol Stevens and Kemar Brown what would have been sure goals.

“To be frank, since we started training Sanchez, to me, would have been the most improved and looked the sharper keeper.

“He was very impressive (on Sunday); our first-string goalie was out and he came in did a pretty good job for us,” Reynolds told the Observer.

It is also believed that Humble Lion out-of-favour ‘keeper Sheldon Brown could be a January transfer target for Sporting.

Brown, of similar built to the towering Barrett, appears to be way behind the likes of Damion Crooks, Philmore Crumbie and Chris Louden in the pecking order at Effortville and a move across the parish could suit him well.

The former Portmore and Village United goalie has worked with Reynolds in his daCosta Cup days at Garvey Maceo and has the technical ability to become a commanding figure between the sticks for Sporting, if he’s acquired.

Reynolds, in commenting on Brown’s situation, said: “I know he made some contact with us earlier in the season, but at the moment I’m not in a position to comment on Sheldon’s situation. But once there’s a place here we’ll always welcome him as a part of the Clarendon set-up.”

Meanwhile, the former Los Perfectos coach said he’s satisfied with his team’s steady start to the NPL season.

“We are very pleased,” he said. “We have a first-round target that we set and we weren’t too perturbed by the opening day loss because what was encouraging from that game is that we played very well for the last 20 minutes and we carried that over into our last two games.”

Sporting are currently enjoying their best start to a premiership campaign after rebounding from their opening day 1-2 defeat at Portmore United with consecutive home victories against Village United and Arnett Gardens to occupy third place on the points’ chart.