Goals: Canha 9’ – O’Donaghue 65’; McCollin 89’; Daley 90+1’.

The Bostik South East relegation battle is going to go right to the wire after two late Whyteleafe goals stopped Guernsey earning a positive result at Footes Lane on Saturday.

Having taken the lead early on, the Green Lions struggled to cope as the visitors – who played with the shackles off with nothing to play for – went all out attack in the second half.

The equaliser was inevitable but was none-the-less frustrating given that it came from surrendering the ball too easily in midfield.

But despite struggling in the second-half, it still might have been very different if two key controversial decisions within minutes of each other in the second half had gone the way of Tony Vance’s side.

Guernsey went for a winner, but were caught twice in the dying stages. Next Sunday’s visit of Greenwich Borough, bottom on Saturday night but just a point behind and still to play on Sunday, is shaping up to be the most important fixture in GFC’s short history.

It all started well enough, as it often does at Footes Lane, with Guernsey looking hungry and Carlos Canha volleying just over the top inside five minutes after a long throw was only half cleared.

Adam Aziz whipped a dangerous cross from the left that flew across the six-yard box and missed two players in the middle by inches, and the visitors were made to rue that moments as the Green Lions went in front a minute later.

Thomas Dodds found Tom De La Mare, who in turn picked out Dave Rihoy on the right wing, with the latter cutting inside to find Matt Loaring. Loaring in turn teed up Canha, who turned and took the early shot from 20 yards that had just enough on it to find the corner. It looked initially like ‘Leafe stopper Tyler McCarthy should have done better to stop it getting past him, but lengthy treatment in the aftermath and the fact he appeared to be struggling for a good 20 minutes after that, suggests an injury hampered him.

Aziz cut in from the left and took an early shot from 20 yards on 19 minutes that evaded Stanton’s dive and clipped the outside of the post, but the Guernsey ‘keeper probably had it covered had it been inside the upright.

Chances were at a premium for most of the half, with two of the remaining three for Guernsey coming from free-kicks. Frank Tobin’s low effort was straight down the throat of McCarthy while Glyn Dyer just missed the far post with a curler from the corner of the area. Will Fazakerley also fired in a dipper from 25 yards that flew narrowly over the top.

The second half was all about hanging on as Guernsey tried to deal with the relentless attacking from Whyteleafe. Half-time substitute Tre Daley thumpsx a volley over, Aziz’s curler beat Stanton but flew just wide and Dodds also made an outstanding block to deny the latter before Matthew O’Donaghue hit the side netting, all in the first quarter of an hour. Bentley Graham cleared the crossbar by some distance soon after.

The leveller arrived just before the midway point of the half. Guernsey looked comfortable in possession in midfield but Kieran Mahon allowed the ball to run away from him on the halfway line and had it pinched off him. Zahui Orome drove forward and teed up Andre McCollin in the area. The number nine’s shot hit the foot of the near post and bounced out, but O’Donaghue reached the rebound first to drive it home.

Two swift Guernsey changes finally saw the Green Lions get on top and brought about the two key moments. One of those changes was the introduction of Seb Skillen, who collected a lay-off from De La Mare on the edge of the box and aimed for the far corner. It looked on target, but Corey Holder struck out an arm that blocked the shot for what should have been a clear penalty. The Guernsey players were incredulous when the referee waved away the appeals, even more frustrating given that Dyer was penalised for the same offence and a far less clear-cut decision against VCD Athletic just a few weeks ago.

The Green Lions sought to put it behind them and good work by Skillen and Dodds worked a chance for Dave Rihoy who volleyed over as the ball bounced up. Mahon then drove forward and played in Loaring, who scuffed his shot and dragged wide from the edge of the area.

A minute later, Guernsey had the ball in the net but again were on the wrong end of a controversial decision. Rihoy worked his way across the box and played in Skillen, who sent in a low delivery across the six-yard box. Loaring slid in and turned it home, but the flag was straight up for offside against him, despite he, several team-mates and the coaches on the side line adamant that he had nipped in having started his run behind his marker – another big call that would have swung the game in the Sarnians’ favour had eluded them.

The double reprieve seemed to buoy Whyteleafe and they suddenly looked a threat for a winner again. McCollin worked himself a chance on the edge that was deflected just off-target, then attempted an ambitious bicycle kick that went comfortably wide.

What turned out to be the winner arrived with just over a minute to go. It was a good finish by McCollin as he lobbed the ball exquisitely over Stanton after Nathan Campbell had used his size and strength to beat Jamie Dodd to a flick-on, but it was another goal that could have been avoided when a Guernsey attack broke down due to a poor final ball going straight through to the goalkeeper when there was a relatively straightforward pass available.

The salt was well and truly rubbed into the wounds as the game entered stoppage-time. With the Green Lions throwing men forward in search of an instant equaliser, it naturally left space at the back, which Daley duly exploited as he evaded a couple of challenges and fired into the bottom corner in similar fashion to Canha’s earlier strike.

Whatever happens between Cray Wanderers and Greenwich Borough this weekend, the clash between the bottom two next weekend could decide which way this fight goes.

Guernsey fans will have a keen eye on that one on Sunday, given hope by the fact that victory for Cray will earn them the league title and promotion.

Saturday’s other Bostik South East results were as follows: Haywards Heath Town 2-1 Whitstable Town, Herne Bay 3-1 Faversham Town, Hythe Town 3-1 Ashford United, Phoenix Sports 5-1 East Grinstead Town, Ramsgate 1-2 VCD Athletic, Sevenoaks Town 0-0 Three Bridges, Sittingbourne 1-6 Horsham.

Whyteleafe: Tyler McCarthy, Emmanuel Mensah, Matthew O’Donaghue, Nathan Campbell, Ricardo Thompson (Tre Daley HT), Corey Holder, Bradley Wilson, Bentley Graham (Zahui Orome 63’), Andre McCollin, Marvin Armstrong (Jamie McGeoghegan 78’), Adam Aziz.