Guernsey finally got back to winning ways with goals at the end of each half to beat Sittingbourne 2-1 and register a first victory in seven matches.

The scoreline once again could have been more comfortable had the Green Lions taken more of their first-half chances, but they controlled most of the contest and were worth the three points as the Brickies’ sole strike came with virtually the last kick of the game.

Tony Vance’s side started in a much more positive fashion than they did in Wednesday’s defeat and had four key chances in the opening half-hour.

Ross Allen set his radar within two minutes from distance but Simon Overland got down comfortably to hold. Four minutes later, positive play down the right saw Dom Heaume cut in and hit a left-footed curler that the visiting stopper had to stretch to palm away diving to his right.

Marc McGrath then teed up Dave Rihoy in the middle of the area, but the visiting Overland got behind it to make a strong block.

A good team move led to Guernsey going exceptionally close on the quarter-hour mark. Allen picked out McGrath on the left. He teed up Matt Loaring to whip in a cross from the left and Kyle Smith met it with a sweet half volley that crashed against the crossbar.

Tom Carlse’s free-kick lacked enough curl on it to hit the target in Sittingbourne’s first meaningful chance, and the Green Lions hit the bar again for the second time in the match just a minute later as hit looked to chip Overland from just inside the area.

The visitors hit the woodwork themselves as they nearly punished the hosts for not taking their early chances. Carlse’s headed at the back post hit the upright and the rebound should have been a simple finish for Steven Ita, but the midfielder lacked composure and blazed it high and wide.

Allen tried his luck again from way out but couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet and it rolled through for a simple save for Overland.

Guernsey finally made the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time – and it was a beaut. They won the ball back in an attacking position from a Sittingbourne throw and McGrath headed inside for Allen. He squared it to Loaring and it looked like the space would open up for the midfielder to shoot. Instead, the threaded an inch-perfect diagonal through ball across the area where Rihoy was waiting to steer it in low at the far post (pictured).

They buoyed the home side as they came out for the second half as Smith shot wide after good work by McGrath and Heaume, then Rihoy brought another comfortable save out of Overland when shooting from distance.

A controversial moment midway through the half could have turned the game on its head as Carlse went down easily after running into Simon Geall. The assistant referee flagged for a penalty but he was eventually overruled by the man in the middle Lewis Sandoe after a lengthy discussion.

That stung the Green Lions back into positive action, with Smith and Allen – the latter from a free-kick then with a curler, drawing saves from Overland from long range.

Sittingbourne had a rare opening as Stefan Wright had an opportunistic pop from distance but Josh Addison saw it wide.

Glyn Dyer and Tom De La Mare had both entered the action after injury and both could have netted late on. De La Mare saw his shot blocked by visiting skipper Jono Richardson and Dyer ran onto a through ball with his first touch but didn’t catch his shot cleanly as Overland held.

But De La Mare was not to be denied in a strong cameo on his return as he made the points safe two minutes into stoppage-time. Allen stayed on his feet to put the ball into the danger area and it eventually dropped for the midfielder to find the net with a low finish.

Rihoy whipped a powerful effort wide from long range in an attempt to put a real gloss on the scoreline but the Green Lions ended up blotting their copy book with almost the last kick of the game, leaving Addison furious at not getting his first clean sheet.

Substitute Jacob Fallaize gave away a needless free-kick near the corner flag and the clearance from the resulting cross dropped to Ita on the edge of the box. This time he kept his composure to drill home via a deflection.

The win was a sense of relief for the team and the fans as the Green Lions moved up one place to 20th. They will be keen to keep the momentum building back up when Chipstead visit on Wednesday.

The rest of the Ryman South results were as follows: Chatham Town 1-2 Carshalton Athletic, Dorking Wanderers 2-2 Whyteleafe, Molesey 2-2 Godalming Town, Ramsgate 0-1 Chipstead.

Guernsey: Josh Addison, Simon Geall, Jamie Dodd (c), Josh Steel, Matt Loaring (Glyn Dyer 90′), Thomas Dodds, Dave Rihoy, Kyle Smith (Tom De La Mare 72′), Dom Heaume, Ross Allen, Marc McGrath (Jacob Fallaize 84′). Not used: Jordan Kelly.

Goals: Rihoy 45+1′, De La Mare 90+2′.

Sittingbourne: Simon Overland, Sam Welch, Conrad Lee, Dan Rumbol (Dan Tanner 86′), Jono Richardson (c), Joe Loft (Jack Stevenson 79′), Steven Ita, Stefan Wright, Jordan Gallacher (Tom Brunt 76′), Ricky Gundry, Tom Carlse. Not used: Nick Davis.

Goal: Ita 90+6′.