GUERNSEY 0
KINGSTONIAN 3 (Wilson 31′; Rowe 40′; Ujkaj 90+3′)
Guernsey are now on the brink of relegation but can feel aggrieved after being by far the better side against promotion-chasing Kingstonian on Bank Holiday Monday.
Aside from a couple of other half chances, the visitors’ goals were virtually all they had to offer as the Green Lions took the game to their opponents and kept their defence under constant pressure – they just couldn’t force the ball past Liam Allen in the Ks goal. Three-nil was an incredibly harsh scoreline on Tony Vance’s side, who deserved the minimum of a point, if not all three as they hit the crossbar no less than four times.
A point for Horndean and another win for South Park means that Metropolitan Police are the only team GFC can catch in their bid for survival. But because of goal difference, even two wins from their final two games is unlikely to be enough for the Sarnians as Met Police face already-relegated Sutton Common Rovers on the final day – a side who certainly won’t be keen to do Guernsey a favour.
The Green Lions set about the game with the same mentality they showed against Southall, taking the game to their opponents. They just couldn’t force a way through.
They hit the bar twice through man-of-the-match Brandon Wallace in the first half, both from the corner of the area. Charlton Gauvain also sliced over as Matt Loaring chested the ball down in the box, Jacques Cauvain sent one whistling past the near post when following up Ross Allen’s blocked effort, and Sam Murray’s bouncer was diverted over as GFC forced a mistake when Kingstonian tried to play out.
The opener came on the half-hour, totally against the run of play in the Ks’ first meaningful attack. A long throw from the right was flicked on and Bradley Wilson ran onto it at the far post to head into the corner.
The second came five minutes before half-time as the visitors swept the ball out to the left, Wilson found Eddie Simon centrally, who in turn played Dan Rowe into space down the right. The number 11 drove into the area and drove his shot low across goal, where it went in via the far post.
The Green Lions had no choice but to go all-out attack in the second half – and they gave it everything they had. Cauvin skewed over after Allen had a free-kicked block, which came about as Gauvain drove forward from halfway and drew a foul in the D. Murray also saw his shot blocked after GFC won the ball back high up the pitch and Allen teed him up.
Tom Vaudin is probably not the ideal man to find in space in the area, and so it showed as he poked wide from a good position after Gauvain’s free-kick had been flicked on into the middle.
Cauvain came closest so far to halving the deficit just before the hour after Wallace had dinked a cross to the far post. Cauvin got his head to the ball as the GFC wing-backs combined but a combination of defender and goalkeeper just about kept the ball out at the near post.
Stan Flaherty blazed over in a rare attack for the visitors before Allen met a low Gauvain corner only to see his effort deflected just wide.
Liam Allen was at full stretch moments later to push the ball onto the bar after Guernsey returned the ball into the visiting penalty area and the heads went up to send the ball looping towards goal.
Allen’s 80th minute drive from the edge of the area was diverted into his namesake’s grateful grasp, while the Ks stopper also dived to save a Loaring drive after Murray and Allen had combined well from the left.
A sliced cross from Loaring almost set up a grandstand finish on 87 minutes as the delivery forced Allen to push onto his own crossbar before holding the rebound.
Flaherty lobbed over for a second time after a kind bounce and the visitors grabbed a fortunate third deep into injury time to cap their three points as Arsen Ujkaj played a one-two on the edge of the area before tucking under Josh Addison. It was, again, completely against the run of play but sealed a vital victory in their promotion push and could prove to be a knockout blow for a brave Guernsey side.
Monday’s other results were as follows: Ascot United 1-0 0 Badshot Lea, Ashford Town 4-1 Westfield, Farnham Town 0-1 Hartley WIntney, Hayes & Yeading United 2-0 Harrow Borough, Horndean 1-1 Moneyfields, Leatherhead 4-1 Binfield, Metropolitan Police 0-2 Hanworth Villa, Rayners Lane 1-6 Sutton Common Rovers, Raynes Park Vale 1-1 South Park (Reigate), Uxbridge 1-0 Southall.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 5 Tom VAUDIN; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 8 Matt LOARING; 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN; 12 Fin DU PORT (22 Fin PATTERSON, 89’); 17 Brandon WALLACE (23 Frazer MAGINNIS, 79’); 21 Jacques CAUVIN (26 Zach GILMAN, 77’);24 Jacob FALLAIZE (4 Tom DODDS, 76’); 28 Ben SOLWAY. Not used: 18 Dave MERRIS.
Booked: Addison, Vaudin, du Port.
KINGSTONIAN: 1 Liam ALLEN; 2 Arsen UJKAJ; 4 Reuben DUNCAN; 5 Mitchal GOUGH; 6 Joe HICKS (c); 7 Stan FLAHERTY; 9 Eddie SIMON (18 Iker NOGUERA LEON, 90+3’); 10 Bradley WILSON (3 Joe BELL, 86’); 11 Dan ROWE (16 Rocky WILLIAMS, 77’); 14 Harry MILLS; 17 Joe PRATLEY-JONES. Not used: Palace FRANCIS; 13 Ewan CARLIN.
Booked: Gough, Simon.
Attendance: 1,222.
