Goals: Allen 37’; Murray 41’ – Nawaf 24’; Bell pen 60’, Soares pen 74’.

Two penalties were the difference in the second half as Marlow came out with the three points after a dogfight of a game at Footes Lane on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams came from behind to turn the game around over the course of the 90 minutes, and while the result did not fall their way, they showed plenty of fight and there were positives to take as the Guernsey scored more than once for only the third time this season.

It became a battle in the second half with the visitors determined to make it a fight rather than a flowing game of football, but the Green Lions had shown some good attacking intent in the first half.

Sam Murray moved onto five goals for the club and is showing more and more every week that he is fully equipped to play at this level, giving the Sarnians a great physical presence in attack.

It was a lively start from Tony Vance’s side. Just inside 10 minutes, a Guernsey corner was cleared as far as Dave Merris who teed up Tom Dodds to send it back in. Jacob Fallaize’s presence was enough to force a knock-down, which Ross Allen seized upon but a timely tackle blocked his shot.

Toby Raggett’s potshot from outside the area bounced conveniently for Josh Addison to claim on 13 minutes, before the hosts started to impose themselves more on the game.

As the half approached its halfway point, Keanu Marsh’s brilliant control both brought down Jamie Dodd’s arrowed pass and got him past his man. Marsh squared across goal for Brandon Wallace. It was all set up nicely for him to stroke home his first goal of the season, but perhaps the excitement got to him as he took his eye off the ball, slicing it wide.

As so often happens in football, the team missing the golden chance was punished instantly as Marlow took the lead. Benjamin Mulley received the ball on the edge of the area and spotted a gap to slip it through to Naheer-Omar Nawaf, who steered it into the far corner from the angle.

Guernsey got back on level terms on 37 minutes. It was almost a carbon copy of the winner against South Park just three days earlier, personnel and all, as Dodd lobbed a throw in from the left, Murray flicked it on and Allen was perfectly placed just a couple of yards out to prod it over the line.

Allen then nearly had the net bulging again moments later as he turned on the edge of the area and let fly towards the far corner, but Aaron Watkins flung himself to his left to palm it away.

But that led to GFC’s first-half turnaround as Dodd’s throw caused havoc yet again. Fallaize challenged for it in the air and after a brief scramble the ball bounced up for Murray with his back to goal. Showing great improvisation, Murray hooked it over his head and it looped past the unsighted Watkins and kissed the ceiling of the net on its way in.

Marlow wasted their only further opportunity to get back into it before half-time as a free-kick on the edge of the D was teed up for Charles Samuel, but he drove it straight into the wall and Raggett scuffed the resulting loose ball, which was cleared.

The visitors had showed glimses in the first half of the gamesmanship they were prepared to embroil themselves in to get a foothold, and there was even more of it evident in the second half. It was clear they were targeting Fallaize, who had been booked in the first half, to try and get him a second yellow.

Just before the hour, Raggett was bundled over by Fallaize and the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot, though resisted the intimidating protests for that yellow. Junaid Bell drilled the penalty confidently to Addison’s left to level it up again.

The provoking of Fallaize continued, but it was the visitos who ended up with a numerical disadvantage because of it. In an off-the-ball incident after GFC had cleared their lines from a corner, Curtis Ujah raised his hands into the face of Fallaiz, who went to ground. His team mates put a strong case to the officials, and luckily the assistant had spotted it. Following a lengthy stoppage and some anger directed towards the referee from both sides, the official pulled out a red card to send Ujah on his way.

An amazing strike from Mulley from distance had Addison was beaten shortly after, but luckily the ball bounced off the post and away to safety. At the other end, a throw bounced up just in front of Allen, who clipped it on the half-volley but it whistled just over.

The game turned on its head again with little over 15 minutes to play. Bell headed towards goal as the ball dropped down from a corner. It was blocked, Marlow appealed for handball and the referee pointed to the spot. Ex-Premier League man Tom Soares took responsibility this time and despite Addison getting a hand to it, the power beat him and the ball nestled in the corner. However, Guernsey were insistent that the corner had actually curled out of play, but their protests fell on deaf ears.

Bell and substitute Liam Mahon both trade efforts from outside the area that deflected wide, the latter leading to Guernsey’s best chance in the closing stages as Fallaize stooped to meet the resulting corner and arrow a header at goal, but it flew just wide.

Six minutes of added-on time was perhaps a bit underwhelming given the antics going on in the second half, but GFC couldn’t find the equaliser in that time and now turn their attention to a tough trip to Northwood next weekend.

The Green Lions remain 17th in Isthmian South Central. Saturday’s other results were as follows: Basingstoke Town 3-1 Merstham, Bedfont Sports 1-2 Binfield, Chipstead 1-2 Ashford Town, Hanworth Villa 2-1 South Park, Leatherhead 2-0 Northwood, Southall 1-1 Westfield, Thatcham Town 2-0 Tooting & Mitcham United, Uxbridge 2-0 Chertsey Town, Walton & Hersham 2-0 Sutton Common Rovers.

Marlow: 1 Aaron Watkins; 3 Joshua Masters; 5 Curtis Ujah; 6 Tom Soares; 7 Junaid Bell (12 Josh Boorn, 90+1’); 8 Chris Ovenden (c); 9 Charles Samuel (4 Louis Rogers, HT); 10 Naheer-Omar Nawaf; 14 Toby Raggett (15 Tristan Campbell, 87’) 16 Benjamin Mulley; 17 Curtis Chapple. Not used: 13 Phil Brown; 18 Adam Green.

Booked: Watkins, Soares, Ovenden, Boorn. Sent off: Ujah.