| FOREST ROW | 6 | – | 2 | GUERNSEY |
| Green 25′ Feeney-Hill 40′, (pen) 55′ Cousins 44′, 49′, 77′ | Murray 12′, 68′ |
Guernsey had a festive weekend to forget as they shipped six at Forest Row on Saturday.
Sam Murray’s continued fine form – he is now level with Marc McGrath on 52 goals for the club – in front of goal was not enough as the visitors were so leaky at the back. It was actually a very even game, but very open at the hosts were just more clinical with their chances – especially thanks to a particularly poor 10-minute spell either side of half time when the main damage was done.
It couldn’t have started much better as Brandon Wallace’s cross was turned home by Murray on 12 minutes, following involvement from Charlton Gauvain in the middle as well, to mark his 20th goal of the season – making him the first player other than Ross Allen to score 20 goals in a season since Marc McGrath in 2014-15. But Frow captain Ryan Green volleyed home a corner to the far post to level on 25 minutes.
Terrique Hall-Anderson hit the bar on the half-hour mark before Matty Feeney-Hill timed his run in behind to beat Addison in a one-on-one to turn the game around on 40 minutes. Then the hosts gave the Greens a real mountain to climb as George Cousins drilled in to make it 3-1 before the break.
It went from bad to worse as the second half got underway. Cousins cuts in from the left wing and beat two men before firing into the far corner on 49 minutes. Five minute later it was 5-1 and game over as Gil Hunter fouled his man in the area and Feeney-Hill converted from the spot.
Murray’s second gave his side slim hope on 58 minutes, finishing off from substitute Frazer Maginnis’ centre.
But Cousins completed his hat-trick and put the result beyond any doubt with little over 10 minutes left as he converted at the end of a run in behind.
The loss meant the Green Lions were unable to make ground on the top two as Steyning Town and Haywards Heath Town played out a draw, also failing to take advantage of Newhaven and Horsham YM both losing. GFC dropped to sixth in the Southern Combination Premier Division with Saturday’s other results as follows: AFC Varndeanians 2-0 Shoreham, Bexhill United 0-2 Little Common, Crawley Down Gatwick P-P Lingfield, Midhurst & Easebourne 0-3 Pagham, Peacehaven & Telscombe 4-1 Newhaven, Roffey 3-2 Horsham YM, Seaford Town 0-0 Eastbourne United, Steyning Town 1-1 Haywards Heath Town, Wick 1-0 Lancing.
FOREST ROW: 1 Ethan McGRATH; 2 Alessio AKABUOGO; 3 Alex FILIPE; 4 Ollie SPINKS; 5 Matt WEAIRE; 6 Ryan GREEN; 7 Terrique HALL-ANDERSON (17 Powell UKAH, 70′); 8 Matty FEENEY-HILL (15 Gabe DARBY, 70′); 9 Ben AUBREY (18 Callum DONAGHY, 73′); 10 Pacey BEAN (12 Donn STREET, 80′); 11 George COUSINS (14 Zack LAMONT, 86′).
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 4 Tom DODDS; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE (23 Frazer MAGINNIS, 58′); 12 Fin DU PORT (19 Will FAZAKERLEY, 75′); 16 Gil HUNTER; 18 Dave MERRIS; 22 Fin PATTERSON (20 George GOUBERT, 58′), 24 Jacob FALLAIZE.
Booked: Gauvain.
