Guernsey could have another two new debutants this evening as they head to back to the Sussex coast to take on Shoreham.
Defender Gilbert Hunter and midfielder Archie Le Huray have both impressed for Leon Meakin’s GFC Development side this season and have earned call-ups to cover a few absences.
There is no Callum Le Lacheur, Ben Solway, Frazer Maginnis or Jamie Dodd, while Seb Vance is expected to be back for the weekend. Jacques Cauvin, Matt Loaring, Simon Arnold and Tom Vaudin remain longer-term absentees and Josh Addison is not yet ready to return – which means Jordan Kelly is set to make his 20th appearance for the club.
Shoreham have advertised the game as “the moment we’ve been waiting for”, suggesting they will be right up for it, especially keen to get back on track after recent results. They have the exact reverse record of GFC’s seven wins and three defeats so far in the Southern Combination Premier Division. They won three of their opening four games but have lost the last six in the league. They were 3-2 up going into the last five minutes on Saturday but conceded two late goals to suffer defeat at Lingfield, one of the teams to have beaten the Sarnians this season. Coincidentally, their vanquishers in the FA Vase were Staplehurst Monachs, who visit Victoria Park in the first round on Saturday.
The Musselmen finished 18th last season, surviving on goal difference at the expense of Loxwood. We have visited the Edgar & Wood Stadium, also known as Middle Road, before, with Harry Tobin (twice) and Ryan-Zico Black scoring in a 3-0 win towards the end of the 2017-18 season with the hosts already as good as relegated in their sole season in Division One of the Isthmian League – although to be fair to them they only found out about a week in advance they would be at that level due to Haywards Heath Town being deducted points for fielding an ineligible player for several games the previous season, and so lacked the time to build a squad capable of sustaining that level of football. Another relegation to Division One of the Southern Combination followed, but they have since recovered and return to the Premier Division in 2023.
Tuesday night’s game kicks off at the slightly earlier time of 7.30pm. Fans not making the journey to Middle Road can watch full live coverage of the game on our YouTube channel (we will post the link on social media before kick-off) and keep up to date via our social media post. A full match report will follow.