Guernsey fought hard to come away from Chichester City with a valuable point on Saturday.

Shorn of several key players and encountering travel problems due to hard winds that meant they had to sit on the runway in Guernsey for two hours, it was set up to be a tough afternoon against a side buoyed by their recent cup exploits and having lost just three times this season, but the Green Lions played some progressive football and kept the home defence well occupied.

The Green Lions created the better chances in the first half, the hosts in the second, so a point was probably fair result as Callum Stanton earned a 10th personal clean sheet.

Guernsey made a bright start at a windy Oaklands Park and tested their hosts’ resilience as Matt Loaring mishit over after being picked out by an Alex Scott cross, Allen shanked over off balance as he pounced on a defensive mistake and tried to go around Steven Mowthorpe. Keanu Marsh also hit the side netting from the angle after good work by Carlos Canha moving across the area.

Callum Stanton’s first test came on 17 minutes as Lloyd Rowlatt drove towards the area but the Guernsey stopper got across to block the shot towards the corner. A high ball from the Guernsey left was then met by Canha at the far post but he could only hook it over on the stretch.

Harry Tobin then ran onto a precise Loaring pass and nearly picked out Scott at the far post, but the delivery was just inches too high. A great piece of skill from Liam Mahon at the halfway point of the half sold a dummy to Davidson and the number seven whipped in a low cross. It took a deflection and Allen met it at the near post, but Mowthorpe got in the way of the shot.

Scott Jones provided a scare for the hosts when he got free at the far post to bring down a cross, but slipped and dragged his shot wide of the near post with the goal at his mercy. At the other end, Liam Mahon ran onto a flick on and shot early from the edge of the area, but Mowthorpe fielded it comfortably.

Jones headed wide at the far post and Josh Clack swiped at mid-air six yards out, failing to capitalise on Guernsey’s failure to clear the ball, while both Mahon brothers saw shots blocked from outside the Chichester area.

The hosts nearly snatched an opening goal just before the break as Clack let fly from the edge of the area. Stanton spilled the initial effort but reacted brilliantly to keep out the close-range rebound from Jones.

The hosts had the lion’s share of chances in the second half but the early stages saw a few fall to Guernsey. Two minutes in, Allen dribbled through two defenders and slipped in Scott with a reverse pass. The teenager hit it first time but Mowthorpe had made himself big and beat it away.

Scott then did really well on the left byline to get past his marker and pull the ball back to the edge of the area. Loaring was well placed but leaning back as he shot and skied it. Canha also slipped and therefore scuffed at Mowthorpe having collected from Allen and burst into the box.

In amongst all that, Jones fired over for the hosts, while Kaleem Haitham was unable to make the most of a rare Stanton miss-kick, firing straight back at the Guernsey keeper.

A great dribble from Loaring when he was surrounded by four home defenders brought about another chance as he picked out the run of Allen, who made for the byline. He slipped past his man and tried to pick out Canha in the six-yard box but a defender was there to clear in the nick of time.

Matt Axell fired wide across the box from a home corner while Loaring was narrowly off target again at the other end, before Chichester started to get more of a grip on the game around the hour mark.

Clack fired comfortably over and Corey Heath’s acrobatic effort from another corner was turned over by Stanton, who also stood his ground to block as Jones took down a diagonal ball into the box, turned and shot. Clack then sliced wide from the edge of the area.

A challenging afternoon but a test that the Green Lions ultimately passed, and will have a well-deserved rest this week before their final game before Christmas at Three Bridges.

Guernsey remain seventh in Isthmian South East with Saturday’s other results as follows: Ashford United 1-0 Hastings United; Burgess Hill Town 3-1 Faversham Town; Herne Bay 0-0 Haywards Heath Town; Hythe Town 3-0 VCD Athletic; Phoenix Sports 2-0 Cray Valley PM; Ramsgate 1-1 Whitstable Town; Whyteleafe 1-1 Sevenoaks Town.

Chichester City: Steven Mowthorpe, Ryan Davidson, Robert Hutchings, Matt Axell, Ryan Peake, Corey Heath, Josh Clack (c), Emmett Dunn, Scott Jones, Lloyd Rowlatt, Kaleem Haitham (Gicu Iordache 71’). Not used: Jamie Horncastle, Rory Biggs, Theo Bennetts, George Cody.

Booked: Hutchings, Iordache.