| SHOREHAM | 6 | – | 7 | GUERNSEY |
| Campbell 11′ Walter 15′, 41′, 70′ Waters 20′, 24′ | Fazakerley 4′ Gauvain 44′, 72′ Fallaize 59′ du Port (pen) 63′ Murray 65′, 78′ |
Guernsey FC will surely never be more involved in a more ridiculous game of association football.
The Green Lions smashed the record books in their highest scoring game, coming back from falling 5-1 behind in the first half all the way back to 5-5, falling behind again then turning it round completely within minutes.
The game to’d and fro’d from the sublime to the ridiculous. It certainly wasn’t pretty as Tony Vance’s side often found fast direct balls towards Sam Murray, Will Fazakerley and Brandon Wallace the most effective option. The defending from both sides was farcical at times as the two teams left themselves woefully exposed at the back with gung-ho football.
But it made for one of the most entertaining evenings of football you will ever see, and somehow it was the Sarnians who came out on top. With Charlton Gauvain pulling it back to 5-2 before the break, you sensed that once Jacob Fallaize rammed home for 5-3 just before the hour, that the momentum was well with the visitors and they would roar back into it thanks to the relentless pressing from the attacking trio of Fazakerley, Murray and Gauvain forcing error after error.
A penalty from Fin du Port was swiftly followed by an equaliser from Murray, then after they fell behind again, a second each for Gauvain and Murray turned the game in their favour for the first time since the opening minutes.
Such was the relentlessness of the the Guernsey attack, they could perhaps even have had double figures were it not for an excellent display from Elliot Dailly in the Musselmen’s goal. Shoreham were actually very clinical, their six goals coming from nowhere near as many chances.
Guernsey couldn’t have wished for a better start as they once again came flying out of the traps and were ahead within four minutes as Brandon Wallace ran onto Gauvain’s high ball and squared into the path of Fazakerley to find the bottom left corner.
It looked set up for a game of one way traffic as the Green Lions continued to tear into the home defence, with Guauvain then pinching the ball back straight from kick-off and letting fly with a bouncer that forced Elliot Dailly to scoop wide.
Dailly was already making a strong case for man of the match as he pulled off a fantastic triple save to first deny Fin du Port, then Fin Patterson twice as Guernsey recycled the ball, the whole passage starting with a brilliant passage of play with full debutant Alex Rihoy involved in several exchanges of pass up the left.
GFC’s failure to make more of their strong start was punished with three goals in nine minutes as the visiting defence suddenly crumbled to a first-half collapse. Marlon Campbell’s equaliser was a stunner as he advanced down the left before he cut inside and curled a lovely shot into the far corner on 11 minutes.
Dylan Walter’s headed home Shay Tobin’s cross four minutes later, with Tobin then laying on for Owen Waters to make it three on 19 minutes. A defensive mix-up then opened the door for Waters to bag a second with barely a quarter of the game gone.
Despite all that, Guernsey still had chances, coming close through Murray and Fazakerley. But then on 40 minutes it was five Campbell beat several Guernsey players on the run before cutting back for Walter to get his second.
Captain for the night Gauvain gave the Greens what looked like slim hope just before the break, getting in behind from Fazakerley’s flick on and tucking under Dailly. There was still more time for goalmouth action before the break as Wallace’s effort was deflected just wide and Dailly saved Patterson’s flick from the resulting corner. Patterson then almost finished at the far post following a dangerous cross from Rihoy but Dailly recovered to keep it out.
The Lions had no choice but to go for broke in the second half, knowing that the fragility of the home defence meant the chances would come. Dailly had already tipped Fazakerley’s effort onto the post in a one-on-one and du port flicked on Gauvain’s whipped free-kick to force Dailly into a reaction stop before Fallaize opened the floodgates moments later, just before the hour. He had stayed up from the free-kick and was well placed at the far post to slam the ball high into the net after Wallace and Gauvain had combined to tee up Patterson for a pull back that was helped across by Murray.
Just four minutes later the Green Lions were well and truly back in it, with du Port slamming home his second penalty in four games having gone down in a tangle of legs in the box. Murray then made it three goals in six minutes as he ran on to Gauvain’s flick on from Jordan Kelly’s ball forward and steered into the corner to unbelievably make it five apiece.
But there was still a quarter of the game to go and a rare second half lapse from GFC allowed Walter to get in behind and slot past Jordan Kelly to put Shoreham back in front with 20 minutes left.
But just two minutes after that, the high press of Guernsey’s front three forced a mistake in the home back line and Gauvain rounded Dailly to tap in another equaliser. 6-6.
Patterson was denied at the far post by a goal-saving challenge from Parker as the visitors kept the ball alive in the penalty area.
A couple of Guernsey injuries forced the introduction of Gil Hunter (for his debut) and Ross Allen from the bench, and it was the elder statesman who created the seventh as he broke down the left and cut back for Murray, who had continued his run after finding Allen, to slide in and secure a brace of his own, putting his side in front for only the second time on the night.
For the first time in the game there was a lull in action as the visitors knew they could finally settle down and focus on keeping it tight. They could still have had another as Rihoy and Allen exchanged passes, with Rihoy pulling a final ball back for his senior counterpart, but Allen lifted over.
The final whistle ended a scarcely believable evening out and while the dressing room will be jubilant, Vance will surely be working on a tighter back line over the next few weeks!
Guernsey move up to fourth in the Southern Combination Premier Division now with an average of three goals a game. The other midweek results were as follows: Eastbourne United 1-0 Lingfield, Forest Row 4-0 AFC Varndeanians, Haywards Heath Town 7-0 Lancing, Wick 2-3 Steyning Town.
SHOREHAM: 1 Eliiot DAILLY; 2 Samuel LANE; 3 Callum JONES; 4 Chay BURT; 5 Scott PARKER; 6 Tom ROSS (12 Taylor EDWARDS, 34′); 7 Owen WATERS (16 William WALLIS); 8 Shay TOBIN; 9 Dylan WALTER; 10 Tykhon BERLIZOV; 11 Marlon CAMPBELL. Not used: 14 Kobe BRIDGES.
Booked: Edwards.
GUERNSEY: 13 Jordan KELLY; 2 Niall HAINSWORTH (25 Gil HUNTER 75′); 4 Tom DODDS; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 9 Sam MURRAY; 11 Brandon WALLACE; 12 Fin DU PORT; 19, Will FAZAKERLEY; 20 Alex RIHOY 22 Fin PATTERSON (10 Ross ALLEN 77′); 24 Jacob FALLAIZE. Not used: Archie LE HURAY.
Booked: Gauvain.