| GUERNSEY | 6 | – | 0 | PEACEHAVEN & TELSCOMBE |
| Murray 6′ Fazakerley 26′, 43′ du Port 33′ Guavain 70′ Le Lacheur 82′ |
Guernsey served up a birthday treat on Saturday afternoon as they celebrated one year at Victoria Park in front of their biggest crowd of the season with another rout to strengthen their grip on a play-off place.
The Green Lions were near spot-on in all elements of their play as they stifled any threat of Peacehaven & Telscombe and bagged another half dozen on a day of milestones.
It was the Sarnians’ 600th competitive game and their scored their 1,200th goal. Sam Murray became the only player other than Ross Allen to hit 30 goals in a single season and Will Fazakerley shook off the disappointment of his brace being erased from the Midhurst & Easebourne abandonment to reach double figures in a season for the first time. There was also a 20th clean sheet for Josh Addison.
In their customary fast start, Murray gave his side the lead after just far minutes, getting the decisive touch at the far post after Charlton Gauvain had swung a free-kick in from the right.
Brandon Wallace’s cross was almost blown in by the wind but struck the near post, while Addison’s first call to action was to comfortably deal with an effort from Fin Agnihotri.
The visitors came close to an equaliser after a quarter of an hour after a corner was headed towards goal but it was headed off the line by Fin du Port, with half-hearted appeals from the visitors that the ball had crossed the line.
Ross Allen’s appeals for a stonewall penalty were waved away after being clearly tripped in the box, but luckily Guernsey didn’t have to wait long for their second. Gauvain’s free-kick hit the top of the wall and looped up in the air, with Fazakerley in the right place as the ball dropped to tuck it in from close range.
It was three just eight minutes later as Gauvain’s quick free-kick release Wallace down the left. His low cross was blocked but the ball fell kindly for du Port, who picked out the far corner with a curling effort.
A low shot from Jacques Cauvin had James Broadbent scrambling but the Peacehaven keeper held the ball, but that was just delaying the inevitable as the defender turned provider for the fourth just before half-time. Cauvin burst down the left all the way to the byline and pulled the ball back for Fazakerley to tap in at the near post.
The Tye improved after the break but the Greens were still relatively comfortable. Cauvin cut in from the left and stung the palms of Broadbent before Wallace sent an effort just over having been teed up by a Gauvain free-kick.
Addison’s first real test was to stand his ground and beat an effort away after Agnihotri had got in behind. Trevor McCreadie should have pulled one back for the visitors as a cross from the right found him at the far post but he sliced his half-volley wide.
Two efforts from Gauvain were saved and just off target respectively before the number seven got his deserved goal with 20 minutes to play. It game just seconds after Wallace had his the bar with a brilliant rising drive. As GFC recycled the ball, substitute Callum Le Lachuer was played in round the back and pulled back from the byline for Gauvain to turn it home inside the six-yard box.
It was quite the impact from Le Lacheur, who went from provider to scorer as a took pass from fellow replacement Matt Loaring, letting it bounced before hitting a low volley back across goal into the far corner.
Lewis Beebee hooked wide for the visitors and was also denied by a stuck out leg from Addison in the closing stages, either side of a good save from Broadbent to prevent Le Lacheur getting his second after being played in by du Port. Loaring hooked over the from the resulting corner.
The Lions would have have to settle for six this time around. An Easter weekend double header will likely confirm their play-off place.
Horsham YM’s defeat meant Guernsey move back above them into third with a game in hand and have a 12-point lead over sixth place meaning a play-off spot is all but confirmed. Saturday’s other results were as follows: Bexhill United 3-0 Wick, Eastbourne United 0-0 Midhurst & Easebourne, Haywards Heath Town 5-1 AFC Varndeanians, Horsham YM 2-3 Crawley Down Gatwick, Lingfield 6-3 Roffey, Little Common 1-0 Lancing, Newhaven 3-0 Forest Row, Pagham 2-0 Seaford Town, Shoreham 0-5 Steyning Town.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN (20 George GOUBERT, 82′); 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE; 12 Fin DU PORT; 15 Ben Solway (2 Niall HAINSWORTH, 85′); 16 Gil HUNTER; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY (8 Matt LOARING, 74′); 21 Jacques CAUVIN (3 Jamie DODD, 77′); 22 FIn PATTERSON (17 Callum LE LACHEUR, 67′).
Booked: Cauvin.
PEACEHAVEN & TELSCOMBE: 1 James BROADBENT; 2 Jake BALDEY; 3 Fin AGNIHOTRI; 5 Drew MATTHEWS (c); 6 Harry POLLARD: 7 Callum EDWARDS; 9 Trevor McCREADIE (11 Lewis BEEBEE, 67′); 15 Daniel HOWICK (22 Matt ASTLE, HT); 17 Ben AUBREY; 18 Eman OKUNJA (4 Alex McCLEAN, 83′); 20 Cameron WILTSHIRE (8 Tyler SCRAFTON, HT). Not used: 15 Connor TIGHE.
Booked: Howick.
Attendance: 1,553.
