| GUERNSEY | 4 | – | 2 | LINGFIELD |
| Maginnis 6′ Cauvin 64′ Solway 81′ Rowland (OG) 90+4′ | Reid-Solanki 20′, 33′ |
Guernsey overturned a half-time deficit in a dominant second half to gain revenge over Lingfield at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
Finding their early lead reversed by half-time thanks to Deven Reid-Solanki’s brace, the Green Lions forced their way back into the game just after the hour and kept up the pressure to go in front in the final 10 minutes and make it safe in injury time.
Frazer Maginnis, who also scored in the reverse fixture, got the hosts off to the best possible start inside six minutes. Charlton Gauvain found Fin Patterson in space on the right and the teenager marked his 50th appearance with an assist as he whipped a low ball into the area. Maginnis darted towards the near post and got to the ball first to turn home.
Sam Murray could have doubled the lead immediately but hit the outside of the post from the angle after rounding Barnes.
The visitors were level on 20 minutes as Deven Reid-Solanki got in behind Guernsey’s high backline. Gil Hunter did well to force him wide initially but the number seven was able to cut back from the byline onto his left foot and lashed the ball in at the near post high, into the net past Josh Addison.
Dave Merris tried his luck five minutes later but his curling effort didn’t quite have enough bend on it to send it in from outside the area, while Gauvain’s header was deflected wide, but overall the hosts were struggling to find another gear. They found themselves behind shortly after the half-hour as Jason Stripp’s low cross was finished at the far post by a sliding Reid-Solanki.
Fin du Port played the Ross Allen role on a corner, running round the back to meet Gauvain’s low delivery but scuffed wide a few minutes before the interval.
The Green Lions need half-time to regroup and they certainly got their act together to take control of the game. Will Fazakerley fired in an early warning shot from 25 yards after setting himself up but his effort flew narrowly over.
Former thorn in Guernsey’s side Jeff Duah-Kessie managed to outmuscle Jamie Dodd in the right channel in a rare second half chance for Lingfield and should have scored from close range as he bore down on Addison but skewed his shot wide of the near post, with stalwarts Dodd and Dave Merris doing well to get back and put pressure on the number nine.
Ben Solway looped a header onto the crossbar and Fazakerley sent one over as the pressure cranked up. Jacques Cauvin replaced Dodd on his return from injury and became an instant hero after Fin du Port’s effort had been deflected behind for a corner.
Gauvain played it quickly to tee Merris up for an in-swinging cross which caused chaos and with goalkeeper George Barnes flailing, the ball dropped to Cauvin to slam home from close range.
The Sarnians continued to call the shots but Lingfield were just about holding firm. It needed another set-piece to force home the issue as the game reached the final 10 minutes. Solway bagged his fourth of the season (they’ve all been pretty much carbon copies), meeting Gauvain’s corner to head down and see his effort bounce up and into the net.
The Greens could have added another before the 90 minutes was up. Cauvin did well to keep the ball in play down the right wing and pull back to the edge of the box for Gauvain, but his goalbound effort was blocked.
Sam Murray flicked on a long throw from Cauvin and Fazakerley collected, but he couldn’t keep his effort down as he shot on the turn.
The clincher game deep into stoppage-time. It was a gift from the visitors but substitute Callum Le Lacheur can take some credit as his presence at the far post in waiting for du Port’s cross forced Harry Rowland into evasive action, but he could only turn the ball into his own net.
Addison dealt comfortably with a Conor Wilford free-kick in the dying moments and Le Lacheur could have even added to the scoreline as du Port put him through, but a strong arm from Barnes kept it out.
It was an important three points for the Lions with the four teams below them all winning. They remain third, with Saturday’s other results as follows: Eastbourne United 8-3 Bexhill United, Horsham YM 3-2 Forest Row, Lancing 2-4 Pagham, Peacehaven & Telscombe 2-1 AFC Varndeanians, Seaford Town 3-3 Little Common, Shoreham 1-3 Newhaven, Steyning Town 4-1 Roffey, Wick 3-1 Midhurst & Easebourne.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 3 Jamie DODD (21 Jacques Cauvin, 56′); 7 Charlton GAUVAIN (c); 9 Sam MURRAY; 12 Fin DU PORT; 15 Ben SOLWAY; 16 Gil HUNTER; 18 Dave MERRIS; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 22 Fin PATTERSON (17 Callum LE LACHEUR, 76′); 23 Frazer MAGINNIS (11 Brandon WALLACE, 71′).
Booked: Dodd, Fazakerley, Gauvain.
LINGFIELD: 1 George BARNES; 2 Jack McDONNELL; 3 Jimmy WILLIAMS; 4 Stephen HODGE (16 Harry ROWLAND, 90′); 5 Conor WILFORD (c) ; 6 Guyni NGANGA (12 David HEATON, 73′); 7 Deven REID-SOLANKI (15 Jaiden CHANG, 60′); 8 Jason STRIPP; 9 Jeff DUAH-KESSIE (14 Richard WETTON, 79′); 10 Matthew CHEESEMAN (17 Jordan BARTLEY-DAYE, 76′); 11 Yusuf McGREGOR.
Booked: Wilford, Nganga.
Attendance: 462.
