| GUERNSEY | 4 | – | 1 | LITTLE COMMON |
| Solway 37′ Allen 48′ Fallaize 61′ Fazakerley 87′ | Hole 90+1′ |
Guernsey’s festive schedule started in fine style as they strolled to victory over Little Common at Victoria Park on Saturday.
Tony Vance would have been frustrated his side threw away a clean sheet right at the end, but the visitors put up little fight as the Green Lions made their set-pieces count again. Three of the four goals came from corners or free-kicks as the Sarnians made it three wins on the bounce to keep up their play-off challenge.
It was virtually attack against the defence in the first half, save for one acrobatic effort from Josh Addison to claw out Lewis Hole’s header from point-plank range and then acrobatically scissor kick the ball off the goal-line with the Little Common number nine lurking for the rebound. Paul Feakins and goalkeeper Matthew Cruttwell both tried to catch him out with efforts from their own half with the wind behind them, but the Guernsey stopper read them well.
As for the Greens, they were delivering dangerous balls into the box from the get-go. A Jacob Fallaize flick was held by Cruttwell and Allen came close with a couple of efforts from outside of the box that dropped just over, the latter after Fin du Port and Seb Vance combined well to set him up.
A du Port drive was deflected just over and Cruttwell reacted well to claw over as Fallaize headed Brandon Wallace’s cross at goal, shortly followed by a Charlton Gauvain volley that flew over as the visitors struggled to clear the corner.
The opener from the hosts seemed only a matter of time and they got it on 27 minutes after another sweeping move. Fallaize clipped the ball out to the left for Gauvain and his lovely backheel teed up Wallace perfectly for a first-time cross towards the far post where Ben Solway was waiting to head it home.
Cruttwell blocked with his legs to prevent Allen making it two on 35 mins, while a timely sliding challenge from Cameron Thompson deflected an effort from Wallace just wide of the post. Du Port also ran in behind to finish off Gauvain’s pass but the offside flag cancelled it out.
The Lions had deserved another goal and Allen got it three minutes into the second half, tucking a free-kick into the corner having had his heels clipped right on the edge of the box.
Fallaize got free in the six-yard box to head in Gauvain’s corner just after the hour to make it three, his fourth goal in six appearances, as the Greens continued to stroll.
Gauvain’s free-kick dipped a fraction too late after Murray had been hauled back, while a volley from Wallace on the edge of the box was held by Cruttwell, the wideman unable to mark his century appearance with a goal despite another all-action display.
Substitute Will Fazakerley rediscovered his goalscoring touch late on, heading home Guavain’s free-kick from the right flank after Fin Patterson had been fouled, to put the icing on the cake.
Unfortunately, Addison wasn’t to get a third straight clean sheet as the defence had a brief lapse in concentration, allowing Lewis Hole to head in a stoppage-time consolation for the visitors.
Guernsey moved up to fifth after two teams above them dropped points. Saturday’s other results were as follows. Bexhill United 3-2 Forest Row, Horsham YM 2-2 AFC Varndeanians, Lancing 1-1 Seaford Town, Lingfield 1-2 Steyning Town, Newhaven 3-0 Midhurst & Easebourne, Pagham 2-2 Peacehaven & Telscombe, Shoreham 0-5 Roffey.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 3 Jamie DODD (18 Dave MERRIS, 88’); 6 Seb VANCE; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 9 Sam MURRAY (22 Fin PATTERSON, 76’); 10 Ross ALLEN (c) (19 Will FAZAKERLEY, 55’); 11 Brandon WALLACE; 12 Fin DU PORT; 15 Ben SOLWAY (4 Tom DODDS, 90’); 17 Callum LE LACHEUR (23 Frazer MAGINNIS, 82’); 24 Jacob FALLAIZE.
Booked: du Port, Murray, Le Lacheur.
LITTLE COMMON : 1 Matthew CRUTTWELL; 2 Cameron THOMPSON; 3 Rory SALTER; 4 Paul FEAKINS; 5 Joshua ELLIOTT-NOYE; 6 Russel ELDRIDGE; 7 Jack THOMS; 8 Reuben MARTIN; 9 Lewis HOLE; 10 Kenny POGUE; 11 Logan COPLEY (12 Arsham MAVALI, 68’). Not used: 14 Kieran LUDLOW; 15 Stuart COLLIER.
Booked: Feakins, Elliott-Noye.
