Guernsey exited the FA Cup in the cruellest way possible, losing 4-2 on penalties to Thamesmead Town following a 1-1 draw after extra time in their preliminary qualifying round reply.

The result means the Green Lions have exited the world’s oldest club competition at the first hurdle for the last three seasons, and there will not be a second home tie against Chertsey Town in September. 

Dom Heaume’s second goal of the season put the Green Lions in front early on but Scott Kinch levelled from a corner soon after.

The deadlock could not be broken further, meaning spot kicks were needed to separate the two sides. Thamesmead netted four out of five in the shoot-out, with Jamie Dodd and Dom Heaume missing the crucial kicks for the Green Lions. Alex Le Prevost and Simon Geall converted their efforts.

Tony Vance called for a performance to match the second half of the Sarnians’ original tie last Saturday – and he got exactly that as GFC put in an excellent first-half display.

They showed their intent as early as three minutes when debutant teenager Thomas Dodds’ through ball put Heaume in on goal, with the big number nine firing narrowly wide across goal with Meads keeper Andrew Walker narrowing the angle. 

Saturday’s hero Dave Rihoy then fired high and wide after good work by Dodd – bursting forward from the back – and Heaume, who was to have better luck seven minutes later.

Some good interplay between Rihoy and Simon Geall on the right-hand side teed up the latter to send in a high cross towards the far post. Dom Heaume rose highest on the corner of the six-yard box to head back across goal to nod the Green Lions in front on 19 minutes.

Heaume had another header a few minutes later but it was a comfortable height for Walker.

Just eight minutes after falling behind, the hosts got back on level terms from a corner – often the Green Lions’ Achilles heel. It came from Thamesmead’s right-hand side and evaded everyone in the six-yard box except for Kinch, who stuck it into an empty net at the far post.

That gave the home side more belief and they improved towards the end of the half. Paul Vines – the scorer of the first ever FA Cup goal outside of the UK when he broke the deadlock at Footes Lane – let a long ball drop over his shoulder and volleyed narrowly over.

Craig Young then came within inches of doubling Guernsey’s lead. Marc McGrath flicked a lovely pass into the path of Rihoy, who drilled low across goal from the right. Young slid in at the far post but couldn’t quite get a toe on it to turn it in.

Chris Tardif was called into action twice before the break, first diving right to parry Jack Mahoney’s dipping shot, then adjusting brilliantly to deny the same player when a deflection off Geall had initially wrong-footed him.

McGrath came within inches of restoring Guernsey’s lead less than two minutes into the second half. His free-kick from the left of the penalty area was goalbound, but Walker flung himself to his left and got fingertips to the shot to tip it onto the crossbar.

From then on, Thamesmead turned the match in their favour with Ryan-Zico Black’s distance effort that was well high and wide was all the Green Lions had to offer in terms of chances until the latter stages.

 They had to defend bravely, and Tardif was a central figure again.

With 10 minutes to go, Vines bundled his way through the Guernsey defence and it needed Tardif to rush out and smother the ball. Just two minutes later, an acrobatic scissor-kick from Vines flew well wide.

Tardif was alert a minute later to hold from Christian Nanetti at the second attempt after the Meads mad had been found by a searching Vines pass.

Guernsey’s number one was acting the hero in the closing stages, and was vital again to get enough of a touch to a right-wing cross to put off Vines as he headed wide in the six-yard box.

GFC had one more chance to offer before the 90 minutes were out, with substitute Jacob Fallaize pulling back from the left byline – but fellow replacement Seb Skillen couldn’t muster enough power into his low effort towards the near post, with Walker making a comfortable save down to his right.

Extra time loomed and Skillen was first to have a go in the additional 30, shooting well over from distance. Rihoy then fired over from Heaume’s pullback.

Then the Meads got on top again. Substitute Frazer Walker tried his luck with a curler from the edge of the box than whistled just over and clipped the roof of the net. Lewis Knight headed narrowly over from a corner three minutes later.

Rihoy was presented with a half chance to win it late when Andrew Walker miscontrolled a high backpass that dropped to the forward, bit the angle was acute and the stopper got in the way as ‘Pedders’ looked to find the far corner.

Tardif was called into action one final time to beat away an effort from Nanetti, with Geall making a vital block from substitute Adrian Stone soon after.

So after 210 minutes of football over two matches, the teams still could not be separated and it went down to the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

Thamesmead went first, with Vines stoking his powerful effort down the middle for 1-0. Dodd stepped up first for the Green Lions but his rising shot struck the crossbar and went over.

Luke Colman made it 2-0, with Alex Le Prevost keeping Sarnian hopes alive with a powerful strike down the middle.

Frazer Walker slotted in low for 3-1, with Heaume’s following effort parried over the bar by Andrew Walker to put the Meads well into the driving seat.

Nanetti stepped up to win it, but Tardif dived to his right to brilliantly push away the spot-kick and keep his side in the contest. Geall then converted coolly to make it 3-2.

It was now down to Stone to win it, and his powerful effort to Tardif’s left gave the Guernsey custodian no chance and Thamesmead were through to the first qualifying round.

The Green Lions can be proud of their performance though after a heroic effort. The main positive from the evening was the performance from 17-year-old midfielder Dodds on his debut, who shone in central midfield and barely put a foot wrong,

GFC will face a third consecutive new opponent on Saturday when Greenwich Borough visit Footes Lane in Ryman South.

Thamesmead Town: Andrew Walker, Bode Anidugbe, Nathan Simpson, Scott Kinch © (Frazer Walker 90+1), Lewis Knight, Joe Denny, Jack Mahoney (Luke Colman 76), Christian Nanetti, Paul Vines, Giannoulis Fakinos (Adrian Stone 95), Jay Porter. Not used: Richard Butler, Ainsley Everitt, Steve Springett, Tyler McCarthy.

Goal: Kinch 27. Booked: Knight.

Penalties: Vines (scored), Colman (scored), F Walker (scored), Nanetti (missed/saved), Stone (scored).

Guernsey: Chris Tardif ©, Simon Geall, Jamie Dodd, Sam Cochrane (Jacob Fallaize 72), Alex Le Prevost, Thomas Dodds, Dave Rihoy, Ryan-Zico Black (Seb Skillen 73), Dom Heaume, Marc McGrath (Seb Smeed 79), Craig Young.

Goal: Heaume 19.

Penalties: Dodd (missed), Le Prevost (scored), Heaume (missed/saved), Geall (scored).