Bracknell Town 2 (Bowerman (pen) 6’; Bayliss 76)
Guernsey 0
Guernsey put up a dogged fight on Wednesday night as runaway league leaders Bracknell Town took the spoils in a 2-0 win at Bottom Meadow.
For all the Robins’ dominance on the ball, it took a penalty and a set-piece to breach the Green Lions’ defence. The Sarnians even carved out a couple of openings at key times themselves that could have led to a different outcome but it was always going to be difficult against a side with one of the best defensive records in the country.
Getting anything from this one would have been a bonus and it is certainly not a game Tony Vance or his squad will lose any sleep over with much more important games to come.
GFC were doing most of the defending from early on, but did actually have the first chance of the game, with Ross Allen’s free-kick straight down the throat of Michael Eacott, who held.
That chance was to lead to the opening goal as Eacott launched the ball straight upfield. Shamar was through but was halted in his tracks as the onrushing Lucas Hanley collided with him. The referee pointed to the spot and the division’s top
scorer Seb Bowerman registered his 23rd goal of the season as he stroked the penalty calmly into the bottom left-corner, just out of Hanley’s reach.
Charlton Gauvain almost got through straight from resulting kick-off, but his shot was blocked. Then, in came a corner from Rihoy, which Jacob Fallaize met with a towering header only to see Eacott turn it behind.
Bowerman shot wide following a corner, then Guernsey got away with a chance of their own making as they gave the ball away trying to play it out from the back, but they were let off as Moore’s shot was blocked.
Daniel Bayliss blocked from Gauvain, who had collected a recycled free-kick on the edge of the area as Guernsey showed they weren’t prepared to just sit back and let their hosts attack them for 90 minutes.
Fallaize then headed off his own with Hanley beaten and was the hero again minutes later, blocking with his legs at the near post as the ball pinged around the area.
Bracknell were patient in attack, happy to work the ball across the box and wait for an opening. They came close to a second when Bowerman collected the ball on the left of the area and lashed a shot wide across that was turned round the post by Hanley, who also held as Moore shot on the turn soon after.
Another Hanley save early in second half prevented the home side from extending their advantage, with Guernsey coming as close as they would come to a goal within two minutes of the restart.
Tom Jackson slipped Allen into the box, and the number 10 rounded the keeper and shot from a tight angle, but Bayliss was able to get back and slide in to keep it out. Fallaize met the resulting corner but his header was deflected wide.
Substitute Zidan Akers tried his luck with a speculative volley from 25 yards that deflected wide off the leg of Dodd, but the clear-cut chances were few and far between.
Bracknell made the points safe with just under 15 minutes left as Bowerman floated a corner in from the right and centre-back Bayliss towered above everyone to plant his header past Hanley.
Guernsey didn’t let their heads drop and continued to put their bodies on the line to prevent the score becoming too lopsided. Fallaize made a third clearance off the line to stop Bracknell putting the game completely beyond the visitors, and Hanley made two saves down to his right to keep out free-kicks from Dave Tarpey and Bowerman, with Jamie Dodd snuffing out a rebound attempt on the latter.
GFC could certainly leave Surrey with their heads held high, and the focus would have switched to Sunday’s home game with Hanwell Town within seconds of the final whistle blowing.
Guernsey stay 14th in Isthmian South East, with the only other midweek games coming on Tuesday night as Hanwell Town and Thatcham Town played out a stalemate, while Uxbridge won 4-0 at Staines Town.
Bracknell Town: 1 Michael Eacott; 2 Ethan Burden; 3 Caden Genovesi; 4 Temi Eweka; 5 Daniel Bayliss; 6 Scott Rees; 7 Max Herbert (16 Zidan Akers, 59’); 8 Michael Atkinson; 9 Shamar Moore; 10 Aaron McLeish-White (14 Davet Tarpey, 67’); 11 Seb Bowerman. Not used: 12 Duncan Culley; 15 Anthony Cheshire; 17 George Knight.
Booked: Rees.
Guernsey: 1 Lucas Hanley; 2 Dave RIhoy (14 Tyler McKane, 85’); 3 Jamie Dodd (c); 4 Tom Jackson; 5 Jacob Fallaize; 6 Kieran Mahon; 7 Charlton Gauvain; 8 Kyle Smith (15 Keene Domaille, 27’); 9 Glenn Le Tissier; 10 Ross Allen (12 Tom Strawbridge, 85’); 11 Ben Le Tocq.
Booked: Hanley, Mahon, Gauvain, Fallaize.
Attendance: 288.
Highlights will be available on GFCTV later this week.
