By Danny Hall From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard

CIRENCESTER TOWN striker Nat Jarvis is just three games away from taking on this year’s World Cup surprise packages Costa Rica as well as Mexico and the USA at next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Despite not playing in his favoured No.9 position, Jarvis’s goals helped his national side Antigua & Barbuda through the qualifying round of the Caribbean Cup in his home country and they also comfortably won through the next round in Trinidad.

Jarvis jets off to Jamaica on Sunday to play in three games over five days which will determine whether Antigua & Barbuda head to the States next summer to take on some of the giants in the world game.

Both Costa Rica (16th) and Mexico (17th) rank higher than England (20th) in the current FIFA list and Antigua have moved up to a highest-ever ranking of 70th on the back of their successful results in the Caribbean Cup so far.

The tournament – now down to the last eight – concludes next week when the top two teams in each of two groups automatically progress to the CONCACAF Gold Cup next July.

In Group B, Antigua are fancied along with hosts Jamaica to progress either to the Caribbean Cup final or the third place match, both of which take place on Monday, November 17.

Jarvis, who is now being recognised by fans at Caribbean airports, believes his side is good enough to get through.

“When I got my late winner in Antigua against the Dominican Republic the fans went crazy. I think there were 8,000 in the stadium from an island population of about 90,000,” said Jarvis.

“The team has gelled very well and I believe we are playing to a very good League One standard at least.

“In Keiran Murtagh (Woking), Josh Parker (Domzale FC, Slovenia), Zaine Francis-Angol (Motherwell) and Calaum Martin (Hull City) we have four very good players.

“And with Dexter Blackstock of Nottingham Forest and Southend’s Myles Weston joining the squad for the finals in Jamaica we will be even stronger.”

Having dropped out of full-time football, the 23-year-old Jarvis has got a smile back playing for Cirencester Town in the Southern Premier League – and has regained his goal-scoring touch.

“My two goals at Bideford last week took me to 12 goals in 11 games,” said Jarvis, but the striker who played for Cardiff City when they were in the Championship, is keeping a level head.

“Playing full-time football is only at the back of my mind at the moment.

“I’m really enjoying my football with Ciren and I am concentrating on my education at the University of South Wales where I am studying on a football coaching course.

“It makes you look at football from a different point of view and I like being able to analyse myself. In the future, I’d like to give something back to the game.”

It is perhaps no coincidence that USW are the unbeaten leaders of the British Universities’ Premier South division having already beaten multiple champions Hartpury College, a team littered with Jarvis’s Cirencester Town team-mates.

Jarvis’s Caribbean Cup quest will see him miss Town’s next three league games but he is due to be back in time for the visit to Arlesey on November 22.

IMAGE: Cirencester Town striker Nat Jarvis

For more on this story go to: http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/sport/11578220.FOOTBALL__Cirencester_striker_Nat_Jarvis_flying_out_for_Caribbean_Cup_finale/