Goals: Young 34′ – Allen-Djilali 63′.

It was a nervy finish for the Green Lions in front of their biggest crowd of the season at Footes Lane, but a point was better for Guernsey than it was for Three Bridges as the relegation battle kept its status quo.

Tony Vance’s side have kept their opponents at arm’s length, and even moved up a place to 20th after Molesey’s defeat to Faversham Town.

GFC were in control for most of the first half and the football’s fine margins were laid bare when a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the second half was spurned and the Sarnians were punished just a minute later.

Three Bridges had the first sniff of goal inside two minutes as the ball fell to Steve Sargent miles out after Leroi Riley had rushed to the edge of his box to head away. Luckily, Riley plucked the lobbed effort out the air.

But Guernsey improved after that, with Craig Young and Matt Loaring both firing wide from distance. Dave Rihoy came within inches of opening the scoring on 18 minutes as he smashed a looping, dipping shot from the edge of the area that cracked the crossbar.

The visitors best chance of the half came midway through when Sam Cochrane misjudged a through ball, but Tony Garrod scuffed his shot and it curled just away from goal, with a deflection helping it on its way.

Garrod scuffed straight at Riley again just before the half-hour mark and five minutes later the hosts were in front.

The Bridges could only half-clear as Rihoy attempted to find Dom Heaume, and the ball dropped on the edge of the box to Young, who fired low into the far corner.

Garrod smashed well high and wide when well placed in the box and Lee Hall hit a poor free-kick wide as the first half drew to a close.

The Green Lions spent the majority of the second half protecting their slender lead, although they did come close when Young got on the end of Heaume’s flick on and squared for Rihoy, but Martin Grant rushed out to just beat the latter to the ball.

Riley watched Timothy Cook’s dink from distance go about a foot over and Adam Thompson headed a corner wide as the West Sussex side began to ramp up the pressure.

But Keanu Marsh could have put clear daylight between the sides on 62 minutes. Rihoy ran onto a through ball and squared to the far post but the right-back blazed over inside the six-yard box when it was easier just to tap home.

Guernsey came to regret that sitter as just a minute later, it was level pegging. Three Bridges’ most dangerous player Kieran Allen-Djilali picked up the ball on the edge of the box after a throw-in was only half cleared and his shot fizzed into the far corner in a similar fashion to Young’s strike.

From then on The Bridges sensed a winner, with Allen-Djilali lifting a shot over just moments after his leveller. Garrod also cushioned a header straight at Riley.

Heaume could have fired Guernsey back into the lead after Charlton Gauvain’s pullback to the edge of the area, but Hall threw himself in front of the shot to make a vital block.

Inside the final 10 minutes, substitute Abubacarr Touray capitalised on a slip from Loaring on the corner of the area but Garrod’s shot took a huge deflection and looped onto the roof of the net. In the same minute, the Bridges number nine also struck the outside of the post.

Riley, who put in an excellent display in his first appearance of the season, also beat away an in-swinging free-kick, and there was still one more heart-in-mouth moment at the death when Touray put in a low centre for the left byline. Jensen Grant slid in from six yards but directed his effort just inches the wrong side of the post.

We remain eight points clear of Three Bridges in the bottom three, who still have two games in hand. The rest of the Ryman South results were as follows: Carshalton Athletic 1-3 Greenwich Borough, Chatham Town 1-4 Horsham, Corinthian-Casuals 2-0 Dorking Wanderers, Cray Wanderers 3-4 Walton Casuals, Faversham Town 1-0 Molesey, Herne Bay 6-0, East Grinstead Town, Lewes 1-0 Hythe Town, Ramsgate 1-1 Hastings United, Sittingbourne 2-1 Godalming Town, Tooting & Mitcham United 3-1 Chipstead, Whyteleafe 1-2 South Park.

Three Bridges: Martin Grant, John Lansdale, Alex Rose, Lee Hall, Adam Thompson, Oneil Odofin, Steve Sargent, Jensen Grant, Tony Garrod, Timothy Cook (Abubacarr Touray 72’), Kieran Allen-Djilali. Not used: Dan Mobsby, Devon Fender, Ned Pierre, Michael Wilson.

Booked: Grant.