Goals: DSane 32’, 71’, 79’ – Fazakerley 20′.

Guernsey’s first league outing of the season ended in defeat against Whyteleafe as former professional Eddie DSane sunk the Green Lions at Church Road on Saturday.

Tony Vance’s side led through a towering header from debutant Will Fazakerley inside 20 minutes, but they were pegged back before half-time and surrendered two goals, including a penalty, in the final 20 minutes.

The Sarnians never really got going in the second half and while he was pleased with the performance of his makeshift defence, Vance was disappointed by those in front of them.

A relatively quiet opening saw the hosts have more of the ball but the visitors were fairly comfortable in defence.

The opener came on the counter-attack as Thomas Dodds’ strong block on the edge of the area fell for Dave Rihoy, who drove forward into the Whyteleafe half before exchanging possession with Tom De La Mare. Upon receiving the ball back, Rihoy hit a high first-time cross from the left touchline. Fazakerley won the aerial battle with Corey Holder just outside the six-yard box an directed his header into the near corner away from the stranded Tyler McCarthy – a proper centre-forward’s goal.

Callum Stanton had already made a couple of routine, but strong nonetheless, saves but he could do nothing about the equaliser a few minutes later. There was an element of luck for the home side as Geall challenged with DSane on the edge of the six-yard box for a low cross from the right, the ball bounced kindly for the Whyteleafe marksman, who swivelled and fired in low from close range.

A bizarre error from the Leafe saw a loose backpass run behind McCarthy, resulting in a high press that won the ball back near the edge of the area. Rihoy was hacked down as he looked to shoot and Craig Young fired the resulting free-kick straight into the wall and Jamie Dodd scuffed the rebound wide.

Vance was adamant his side should have had a penalty shortly after as Fazakerley appeared to be pushed to the ground at a corner, but the referee gave the decision the other way.

Stanton’s best work ] of the half was to get down quickly to his right just before the half-hour mark to beat away a low powerful shot from the edge of the area from Gus Lukuni, who had cut in from the left.

The second half started in frantic fashion, with Paris Pereira seeing a shot blocked inside the area having been found by Fazakerley. Whyteleafe created an opening on the edge of the box for Harrison Carnegie but his shot was deflected wide. Holder also dragged wide from 18 yards after a scramble for possession.

Carnegie was then denied by a superb Stanton save on 70 minutes as the stopper stretched to claw the midfielders rising drive just over the bar.

Sadly, the Green Lions were unable to hold out much longer as Whyteleafe turned the game around on 73 minutes. A loose touch in midfield by substitute Matt Loaring was seized upon by Bentley Graham, who teed up DSane to drive into the box before driving the ball low into the near corner.

The result was sealed six minutes later as Geall’s initial miss-control led to him tripping DSane just inside the box, the striker sending Stanton the wrong way from the spot to roll the ball in for his hat-trick.

GFC came close to forcing an exciting ending as Fazakerley planted another header at goal from a corner, but slight deflection took enough sting out of the ball for McCarthy to hold.

The fingertips of Stanton again came to the rescue as the hosts went straight up the other end and Dodds was crowded off the ball, the keeper this time tipping Taiwo Odutolu’s angled drive against the crossbar and over.

Helge Orome was dismissed in the dying moments for a second bookable offence, but it was too late for the Green Lions to take advantage and so Vance’s side have to wait until the first home game of the season against heavily-backed Ashford United this Saturday to attempt to get themselves off the mark.

The rest of the weekend’s Bostik South East results were as follows: Ashford United 3-1 Hythe Town, East Grinstead Town 1-3 Phoenix Sports, Faversham Town 1-1 Herne Bay, Greenwich Borough 0-3 Cray Wanderers, Hastings United 5-1 Thamesmead Town, Horsham 1-2 Sittingbourne, VCD Athletic 2-1 Ramsgate.

Whyteleafe: Tyler McCarthy, Bradley Wilson, Matthew O’Donaghue, Nathan Campbell, Helge Orome, Corey Holder, Harrison Carnegie, Bentley Graham (c), Eddie DSane, Dan Hector, Gus Lukuni. Subs: Malik Nosike, Matthew Weller, Marvin Armstrong, Taiwo Odutolu, Lochlan Greenwood.

Booked: Orome, Graham. Sent off: Orome.