Goals: Rogalski 16’, 38’ – Wallbridge 18’; Allen 47’; Hainsworth 58’; Loaring 79’.

Guernsey pulled off what manager Tony Vance suggested might just be their best ever result as they upset odds with a 4-2 triumph at Marlow on Tuesday night.

Given the circumstances, Vance was well justified in making such a claim. With several experienced players missing, including their captain, the 17^th-placed Green Lions had three uncapped rookies on the bench, a teenager making his full debut, and were travelling for a traditionally chastening midweek away against very strong promotion-chasing side who have given the Sarnians a hammering on this ground in the past and had won 10 of their previous dozen games.

It all pointed towards another difficult night, but GFC had other ideas as they punished mistakes and were clinical on the break, coming from behind twice to claim a bonus three points.

The visitors gave as good as they got in the opening stages and created openings for themselves. Brandon Wallace’s potshot was easily fielded by Aaron Watkins and then a Wallace delivery caused some panic in the six-yard box before being hacked away.

Top scorer Dawid Rogalski came close to opening the scoring with little over 10 minutes on the clock. Having been denied by a timely challenge from Tom Vaudin in the six-yard box moments earlier, he then looped over crossbar as he stretched to meet a deep cross from the left.

Joshua Boorn’s strike from 25 yards was deflected behind for a corner, which led to the opening goal as the delivery was knocked down for Rogalski to lash home from close range on 16 minutes.

But the Green Lions hit back straight away, although they had Watkins to thank for it. The Blues keeper got down at his near post to meet Charlton Gauvain’s tame near-post delivery, but he let it squirm out of his grasp. Owen Wallbridge accepted the gift and rolled the loose ball home for 1-1.

The returning Seb Vance was in the right place at the right time to deny Rogalski what should have been a certain second as he met a pull-back just moments after the equaliser. Jacques Cauvin also got a vital foot in just before the half-hour to deny Kritpac Dzima a scoring chance.

Wallace took a short corner off Hainsworth and flashed a cross-come-shot across the six-yard box but no one added the final touch.

Toby Raggett cut in from the left and had Josh Addison worried with his effort that just flashed over the far corner, but the hosts got their noses back in front with a fine strike from Rogalski on 38 minutes.

The Marlow number nine took down a high ball with his first touch, drove into the area and leathered a shot high into the corner at Addison’s near post.

It is in these situations that the floodgates have opened on the road in the past, but Guernsey did not let that happen. They went straight for the hosts again, with Matt Loaring dragging wide from outside the area.

Wallbridge then cut in across the box and saw his shot blocked, as did Loaring in the follow-up. Loaring then came within a whisker of levelling just before the break as he met Gauvain’s free-kick but his header bounced off the crossbar. Addison also gathered comfortably from Boorn before the half was out.

Guernsey were level again less than two minutes after the restart from a lovely team move that started with Tom Dodds and Addison at the back. Wallace sent Loaring away down the left, and the midfielder cut back from the byline and rolled the ball back into the path of Allen, who didn’t have to break stride as he drilled it first time into the roof of the net.

Addison gathered comfortably as Elijah Oladunjoye tried his luck from range, then Vaudin made an important block to prevent Dzimba’s shot reaching the goal from just inside the area. Boorn skewed over at the far post from the resulting corner.

The Green Lions went in front for the first time in the game out of the blue just before the hour. Again it came from the back and a Wallace ball down the left, collected by Wallbridge. He released Gauvain, who sped past his man to the left byline. Niall Hainsworth had bombed forward down the other side and was completely unmarked to tap in Gauvain’s low cross at the far post for his first goal for the club.

Oladunjoye sent a knockdown wildly over the top, as did Nathan Jones, while Allen grazed the side netting when curling a low free-kick round the wall.

Guernsey were then counting their blessings as the crossbar denied Rogalski his hat-trick with a fantastic bicycle kick that left Addison rooted to the spot.

Addison had his near post covered as he saw wide from substitute Rhys Harper, who had skipped almost across the width of the pitch. Gauvain then tied Joshua Masters in knots again on the right before delivering, but Wallbridge had to settle for a corner as he tried to tuck the ball in at the near post.

Substitute Dave Tarpey or Rogalski should have levelled with around a quarter-hour left after the Guernsey defence failed to deal with a cross from the right, but Tarpey couldn’t get a telling touch before Rogalski miscued at the near post.

The visitors put clear daylight between themselves and Marlow thanks to Loaring’s 12^th of the season with just over 10 minutes left. Masters will have had nightmares about Gauvain afterwards, with Guernsey number seven outfoxing him again on the byline before teeing up Loaring at the near post to sweep home across goal.

There was still work to do as Dodds’ timely tackle blocked Tarpey’s shot, while debutant Oscar Leadbeater nearly got in behind for the Green Lions having replaced Vance midway through the half.

Alex Ward also made his debut off the bench towards the end, as did Harry Jones – making the unusual step from GFCTV commentator to player in the same match, having been on the mic for most of the 90 minutes.

Allen tried to make it five in injury time, with his dipper causing Watkins a little bit of bother. Gauvain also sent a free-kick over as the Green Lions saw out the closing stages relatively comfortably to earn perhaps their most impressive three points ever.

Guernsey remain 17^th in Isthmian South Central but now have a 14-point gap over the relegation zone and are within three points of 13^th with games in hand. Tuesday night’s other results were as follows: Ashford Town 0-6 Northwood, Hanworth Villa 2-0 South Park, Leatherhead 1-1 Chipstead.

MARLOW: 1 Aaron WATKINS; 2 Elijah OLADUNJOYE; 3 Joshua MASTERS; 5 Tom SOARES; 6 Nathan JONES; 8 Chris OVENDEN; 9 Dawid ROGALSKI; 10 Kritpac DZIMBA (11 David TARPEY, 59’); 12 Joshua BOORN (4 Jordan HAMILTON-OLISE, 78’); 14 Toby RAGGETT (7 Rhys HARPER, 60’); 17 Kai HAMILTON-OLISE. Not used: 16 Curtis CHAPPLE; 18 Taropafadzwa CHITEPO.

Booked: Dzimba, Ovenden, Jones.