Reeling in the teams above them is Guernsey’s number one priority as they renew their acquaintance with Crawley Down Gatwick after nearly 12 years on Saturday.
And with second-placed Steyning Town and third-placed Horsham YM facing each other, a win for the Green Greens guarantees them edging a little closer to at least of them, maybe even both. But lose and the Sarnians could find themselves back down in eighth.
But Tony Vance’s side have to do their job first, although the Haven Sportsfield is one where they have fond memories. Their first visit in the Isthmian League saw the Greens earn a 1-1 draw in August 2013, but came back just a week later to win 3-1 in their first ever FA Cup match – Marc McGrath, Matt Loaring and Ross Allen getting the goals.
The last meeting was at Footes Lane, which again was the setting of club history being made on New Year’s Day 2014, with the Lions taking an ailing Crawley Down side apart to rack up a club record 11-0 victory – with Allen bagging a double hat-trick. The Anvils were in freefall at the time, having had their budget slashed after a bright start and losing most of their first team. Relegated that year, they have bounced between the Southern Combination Premier Division and Division One ever since.
Playmaker Charlton Gauvain is set to become the 10th player to achieve 200 appearances for the club, matching the record achieved by former goalkeeper Chris Tardif.
Ben Solway is unavailable and Jacques Cauvin picked up a minor knock in training, so they join Tom Vaudin, Simon Arnold, Niall Hainsworth and Matt Loaring as absentees. Seb Vance is also unavailable due to the shoulder injury that forced him off at the end of the win over Little Common last weekend.
Crawley Down Gatwick are 14th and looking to ease away from the relegation zone. It’s actually nearly a month since they have played a league game, narrowly edged out by high-flyers Steyning. That was the third straight defeat in the league, but they had won the three games before that. Oli Leslie is the man to watch out for, with 14 goals to his name so far this season. They finished sixth in the previous campaign.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 2pm. Fans not making the journey to the Haven Sportsfield can watch the first half live on our YouTube channel or listen to full live commentary on our @GuernseyFC X Space. You can also follow our usual social media updates.
Guernsey FC Women’s task to arrest their current patchy form couldn’t be harder as they head to Farnham Town on Sunday.
Farnham continue to steam roller the Southern Region Women’s Division One South table with six wins out of six, taking a 6-2 from Victoria Park in November. The Green Lionesses will want to respond with a good performance after struggling in the 1-4 home defeat to Bursledon last weekend.
There is a boost to the squad as Kayleigh Marquis returns from a long-term injury as a goalkeeping alternative to Alana Hockey, while defender Aimee Ogier is available again, while Dawber is set to reach double figures for appearances. With Calleigh Hedley still out, it will be interesting to see if Anna Gauvain opts for Heidi Dawber as the focal point of the attack following her promising showing in the second half against Bursledon, having been moved centrally from the right wing at half-time. Rochelle Mullen is also unavailable having been forced off with an ankle injury last Sunday, while Adrienne Leech is also nursing an injury. Eleanor Jamieson could make her first appearance of the season.
GFCW could end the weekend anywhere between fourth and ninth.
The full travelling squad is as follows: Kayleigh Marquis, Alana Hockey, Aimee Ogier, Vicki Rang, Scarlett Kenneally, Mollie Watson, Kelly Creed, Steph Batiste, Heidi Dawber, Candice Bougourd, Jess Frampton, Amy Dallamore, Donna Gallienne, Eleanor Jamieson Kirstie Marquis, Codie Le Flem.
Sunday’s match kicks off at 12.45pm at Farnham Town’s Memorial Ground, although there is a 3G pitch at the nearby Weydon School on standby depending on the weather. We will update fans accordingly. Those not making the journey can watch full live coverage on our YouTube channel or listen to full live commentary on X, as well as our usual social media updates.
A full match report will follow both games.
