| GUERNSEY | 4 | – | 1 | WICK |
| Vaudin 31′ du Port 34′ Murray 87′ Allen (pen) 90+1′ | Crouch 62′ |
Guernsey’s return to step 5 began in style as their Southern Combination Premier Division debut at Victoria Park saw them eventually see off Wick on Saturday afternoon.
The Green Lions were well deserving of their two-goal half-time lead having controlled the first period, their wait for a goal led to two in a matter of minutes. The defence had a brief lapse in concentration allowing the visitors to claw their way back into the game out of nothing just after the hour, but Tony Vance’s side got over their brief wobble to make the points safe late on.
The first half was a repeated pattern of attack versus defence. Wick were content to sit deep and hang on for as long as possible, with their clearances generally heading straight back to the home defence to build again, with the Sarnians remaining patient in moving the ball and their opponents around.
Fin du Port stung the palms of Keelan Belcher from 25 yards inside three minutes after he was given too much space to drive forward, and Charlton Gauvain skewed wide on nine minutes.
Jacob Fallaize headed over Ross Allen’s cross after Brandon Wallace had picked out the skipper’s run at a free-kick, while a last-ditch block in the six-yard box prevented Gauvain finishing off a lovely pass from Allen.
The opener came just after the half-hour from a classic Guernsey corner routine. Gauvain pulled the delivery back to pick out Allen’s arcing run. His shot was blocked in a crowd of bodies but the ball ricocheted kindly for Tom Vaudin to tap home from a yard out, marking his 100th appearance with his first goal, which was also GFC’s 1,000th league goal.
All of a sudden it was two, just three minutes later as Gauvain’s free-kick picked out the run of Fin du Port, who glanced his header into the far corner.
Somehow, neither Allen nor Murray could turn the ball in from close range to finish off a low centre from Gauvain in injury time. Belcher grabbed the ball in the nick of time and set off a counter attack which led to Wick’s only effort on target of the half, but Josh Addison comfortably held Dave Crouch’s effort.
The second half started with a similar trend. Allen curled a lovely effort onto the bar after good work by Fallaize and Simon Arnold just before the hour. But the Green Lions switched off momentarily to give their visitors a sniff.
Isaac Glanfield connected with a high ball to the left-hand side. He disguised the cross and pulled it back towards the edge of the box where Crouch had peeled into space unchecked. His half-volley was gloriously struck, looping over Addison into the top corner.
The goal changed the mood somewhat around Victoria Park, and suddenly Wick were looking alive. But the hosts weathered this brief storm and set about trying to re-establish their two-goal lead.
Belcher reacted well to stick out an arm to deny Sam Murray from point-blank range after a low pull-back by substitute Callum Le Lacheur, with Allen volleying the rebound wide from the angle. Guernsey’s number nine was then set away by Gauvain’s pass and rounded the goalkeeper but his shot from the angle bounced off the foot of the near post.
Murray was denied a third time as another point-blank header was nodded off the line by a defender, then Belcher fielded a low shot from Gauvain. But it was fourth time lucky on 87 minutes as Murray got his deserved goal to settle the nerves.
A lovely cushioned first touch by Gauvain turned Addison’s long free-kick into the path of Murray, who hit a lovely volley from the edge of the area that zipped into the far bottom corner.
There was still plenty of time for more action as the game passed 90 minutes. Allen’s curler was held by Belcher, but he made it 4-1 with a clinical finish from the spot after substitute Will Fazakerley had been barged over.
Fazakerley nearly bagged himself in injury time having worked himself a chance on the edge of the box, but was denied by a good low reaction stop from Belcher.
It was a bad-tempered end to the afternoon from the visitors, who had players and backroom staff receive yellow and red cards for remonstrating with the referee.
The Green Lions are already getting into the thick of it, with a trip to Seaford Town on Tuesday evening.
While the league table matters not one jot on opening day, it makes nice reading to see the Green Lions sitting joint top of the pile. Saturday’s other Southern Combination Premier Division results were as follows: Bexhill United 0-0 Midhurst & Easebourne, Eastbourne United 0-1 Steyning Town, Haywards Heath Town 4-1 Seaford Town, Horsham YM 1-0 Peacehaven & Telscombe, Lancing 0-2 Forest Row, Lingfield 2-2 AFC Varndeanians, Newhaven 2-1 Roffey, Pagham 3-1 Little Common, Shoreham 2-0 Crawley Down Gatwick.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 4 Tom DODDS; 5 Tom VAUDIN (16 Zach GILMAN 90+4′); 6 Seb VANCE (19 Will FAZAKERLEY, 80′); 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE (23 Frazer MAGINNIS, 87′); 12 Fin DU PORT: 14 Simon ARNOLD (17 Callum LE LACHEUR, 63′); 24 Jacob FALLAIZE; (18 Dave MERRIS, 77′).
WICK: 1 Keelan BELCHER; 2 Ryan SINGERS; 3 Oliver COWDRY; 4 Ben GRAY; 5 George BINGHAM (12 Teddie STAIRS, 85′); 6 Charlie ROBINSON; 7 Isaac GLANFIELD (15 Remi PENFOLD, 87′); 8 Aaron TESTER; 9 Dave CROUCH; 10 Dan SIMMONDS; 11 Matt WHITEHEAD (14 Max MATLAK, 76′). Not used: 16 James THURGAR; 17 Jon TUCKER.
Booked: Bingham, Gray, Singers, Robinson.
Attendance: 849
