A rampant Guernsey blitzed visitors Newhaven with seven goals at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.

It was the perfect response to the disappointing defeat away to Lingfield on Tuesday night, with the Green Lions romping into a 5-0 lead before the break in a mix of direct and sweeping passing football, getting a sixth goal within a minute of the second half starting and a seventh before the hour – all against a side that had won all but one of their league games before the weekend.

Brandon Wallace had arguably his finest game for GFC, scoring twice and playing a role in several of the others. In the first half in particular, the wideman tore the Newhaven right-back to shreds to the point that he was hooked at half-time.

It was almost the perfect first half with Tony Vance’s side going at their opponents from the off. There were signs the opening goal was coming with a couple of close calls, one as Sam Murray’s flick on sent Ross Allen into the area but the number 10’s hook over goalkeeper Roman Chiosa bounced just wide, with Callum Le Lacheur close to getting a toe on it at the far post. Murray also drove a low all across goal that was millimetres behind Allen’s leg and he couldn’t quite get enough on it to turn it in.

It was Le Lacheur who put the Greens in front on 19 minutes. Following Jamie Dodd’s interception in his own box, Allen got the team moving with a sweeping, curling pass out to the left for Wallace. His delivery found Le Lacheur whose initial effort was blocked. Allen picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area and tried his luck, forcing a great save at full stretch from Chiosa who turned the ball onto the post, from where it bounced nicely into the path of Le Lacheur to tuck in from close range.

The hosts doubled their lead just three minutes later with a classic corner routine, with Charlton Gauvain pulling the ball back for the curved run of Allen, who hit the far post with his effort but the ball rolled along the line and Murray was there to apply the final touch.

The Dockers nearly got back into the contest shortly after as the ball was pulled back for Charlie Gibson but his effort lacked power and was blocked on the line.

Brandon Wallace deservedly got their third shortly after the half-hour. Gauvain brought the ball down in the centre circle and sent Wallace away down the left channel. He had the freedom of Victoria Park to drive forward and took an early shot that caught Chiosa off guard and bounced in off the far post.

Just two minutes later, it was four – again from a corner as Gauvain this time teed up Niall Hainsworth to deliver from a deeper angle. Dodd couldn’t quite get a strong head to the ball but Murray had peeled off to the far post and drove the ball across goal for Allen to turn in from close range.

Guernsey were truly rampant now and had more chances to add a fifth, with Wallace and Fin du Port combining to play in the overlapping Gauvain, whose shot was saved by Chiosa. Tom Dodds then strode forward and sent a low shot whistling just wide and a poor defensive header put Allen through but his first-time shot was parried.

But the fifth was only a matter of time and it was Seb Vance getting in on the act with his first goal for the club. He continued his run into the box after finding Wallace and so was perfectly placed when Allen collected from Wallace and had his shot blocked, firing through a crowd of bodies where a slight deflection helped it past Chiosa.

The scoreline didn’t flatter Guernsey and they came out for the second half hungry for more, and had the sixth within a minute as Murray’s low delivery across the box was well weighted for Wallace to run onto it and find the far bottom corner for the angle, his second of the game being his fifth for the club to mark his 90th appearance.

Everyone wanted a go now and Hainsworth came close to making it seven just two minutes later but his rasping drive cracked against the upright.

It was just before the hour that Murray added the seventh, and his second. Wallace collected Josh Addison’s clip out to the left wing and picked out the run of the number nine, who had substitute Will Fazakerley in support in the middle but took shot on himself, hitting the bouncing ball early beyond Chiosa into the far corner.

After a few changes from both sides, it was at this point that Newhaven got more of a grip on the game, aided by perhaps more than a little giddiness at the situation from the hosts, who started to leave the defence a little exposed. Addison held well as Teddy Wood cut in from the left and took aim, then Jamie Dodd slid in to make a heroic block to deny Tommy Jupp at the far post as the visitors broke through again.

That determination to keep a clean sheet did not hold out, though, as Newhaven got a consolation on 78 minutes. It was a soft goal as substitute Billy Oliver got in behind and tucked the ball past Addison, who was furious at not completing a shut-out.

Fazakerley was unlucky not to join the long list of scorers in the final 10 minutes. He threw himself at Le Lacheur’s cross after good work by the two Fins, Patterson and du Port, but his header bounced off the crossbar and over.

An acrobatic effort from Pacey Bean in the closing stages was turned over by Addison, who then blocked a header from the resulting corner as the score remained at 7-1.

The win hopefully gets the Sarnians’ league campaign back on track and gives them confidence in what will be one of their toughest tests of the season away to Steyning Town on Tuesday night. They moved up to seventh in the table with games in hand on the teams above them.

The weekend’s other Southern Combination Premier Division results were as follows: Crawley Down Gatwick 2-3 Roffey, Eastbourne United 0-0 Pagham, Horsham YM 2-0 Lingfield, Lancing 2-7 Bexhill United, Seaford Town 1-2 Midhurst & Easebourne, Shoreham 0-4 Haywards Heath Town, Steyning Town 3-0 AFC Varndeanians, Wick 2-1 Little Common.

NEWHAVEN: 1 Roman CHIOSA; 2 Dash CALLEN-DICKENS (12 Harry HAMMOND, HT); 3 Corey SMART (15 Billy OLIVER, HT); 4 Thomas HOWARD-BOLD; 5 Richmond OSEI; 6 Elliott BRESCIANI (16 Pacey BEAN, 48′); 7 Teddy WOOD; 8 Ryan BLUNT; 9 Lee ROBINSON (17 Tommy JUPP, 63′); 10 Charlie GIBSON; 11 Ezra ROEG (14 Dexter LAMBERT, 62′).

Booked: Howard-Bold.