Goals: Dodd 18’; Loaring 57’; Wallbridge 73’.

Guernsey finally earned the win they have been searching for since opening day and picked up a first clean sheet of the season at Footes Lane on Saturday afternoon.

It may have been somewhat skewed by a first-half dismissal from the visitors, but it was a relief to ward off the threat of a new unwanted club record number of games without a win (17) with three games to spare, especially with the Sarnians in the midst of a tough run against teams with an eye on promotion.

Keeper Josh Addison was on good form too, making a string of saves in what became a personal battle with Uxbridge number 10 George Moore.

Skipper Dodd gave his side the lead on 18 minutes, finding himself unmarked to meet Gauvain’s free-kick and help the ball on into the far corner.

Uxbridge were level almost instantly as Alex Witham met Moore’s cross and volleyed across goal, but it bounced wide of the far post. Moore also send a free kick comfortably high and wide of the top corner and lost the first round of his duel with Addison as the keeper held his bobbling shot from outside the box.

Charlton Gauvain got the better of Bryan Taylor from Addison’s ball forward from the resulting goal-kick, but dragged wide as he closed in on goal. Andrew McCorkell also had to get down to his right to hold Sam Murray’s flick on from Jamie Dodd’s long throw.

Dodd was free at the back post at a corner but miscued this time, just before the half hour, while Addison got down to hold as Moore tried to catch him out at his near post from outside the area. Bernard Mensah was also off target trying to pick out the far bottom corner.

The Sarnians’ task got slightly easier with just under 10 minutes left in the half as Addison was taken out by a high by a dangerous high foot by Lewis Pegg, requiring lengthy treatment for the Guernsey stopper having taken a nasty one to the face from Pegg’s boot. The referee didn’t have much choice but to send Pegg to the dressing room.

Owen Wallbridge was just off target as a corner dropped to him in the midst of a goalmouth scramble, then Uxbridge came close a number of times as they turned the screw to create a flurry of chances in lengthy first-half injury time.

Moore’s arrowed effort crashed off the inside of the post, then he tried a quick free-kick after Mensah had been tripped at the edge of the box but he was well off target and wasted a promising opening for his team. Witham then took aim a wide delivery dropped his way and a deflection complicated matters for Addison, who just about got enough on the ball to keep it out, then Gauvain hooked off the line to keep out Alan Hedley’s header. Moore fired well over from the resulting corner, and the hosts had survived a major scare.

Getting through that period proved crucial as the visitor’s momentum dwindled after half time with the one-man disadvantage. Matt Loaring made it two 57 minutes as GFC took advantage on the counter attack. Loaring drove forward and played it into Jack Griffin, then pounced on the loose ball as the teenager was tackled. He still had plenty of work to do from the edge of the area and eventually worked himself space in the box to steer into the left corner.

Griffin could only find the side netting from the angle after charging down a clearance and the Greens’ confidence was visibly lifting.

Addison still had to be on his guard, blocking as Hedley latched onto to a knock down from a free-kick, and still alert enough to prevent a bizarre own-goal as the rebound ricocheted of substitute Ross Allen. He then fielded as Moore’s shot was deflected towards goal.

The same inside post prevented Gauvain making it 3-0 as he tried to curl into the far corner from outside the area, but it wasn’t long before Wallbridge wrapped up the points with his second goal in three games, and his first at Footes Lane.

Wallbridge exchanged passes with Allen before cutting inside. He initially took aim for the far post, but his shot took a big deflection off Luke Paris that sent it looping over McCorkell.

This gave Vance a chance to rest some legs as Murray and Gauvain were withdrawn for Tom Dodds and Keene Domaille, but there was still more drama to come.

Mensah landed awkwardly, jarring his knee on the goal-line as he tried to contest a corner. He was clearly in agony and required an ambulance that resulted in a delay of more than half an hour.

The referee indicated that the match would resume at 4pm and the remaining 15 minutes were played out. Moore could only get a touch to send the ball wide as he met a corner, before he later struck a free-kick into the wall.

By far Uxbridge’s most dangerous player of the afternoon, Moore then cut in after winning a tussle with Tom Vaudin but his effort rolled wide of the far post, then forced aanother good save from Addison, who then sprung to keep out Hedley’s rebound.

There was time for more battles between the pair as Moore lashed a low drive from the angle, but Addison held it, desperate to preserve a rare clean sheet on his 75^th appearance for GFC. Moore burst forward but dragged wide, as did Lewis Cole from 30 yards, before Addison again denied the Uxbridge number 10 as he chased a high ball over the top, then parried from the same player yet again as he took aim from outside the area.

Credit to the visitors for sticking at it with 10 men in the closing stages, but it was to be Guernsey’s afternoon. Everyone at the club wishes Bernard Mensah a speedy recovery.

Another win for Metropolitan Police has kept the Green Lions in the relegation zone, with Saturday’s other results as follows: Ascot United 0-2 Marlow, Badshot Lea 3-2 Corinthian-Casuals, Binfield 0-2 Leatherhead, Chertsey Town 2-1 Southall, Chipstead 2-3 Sutton Common Rovers, Hanworth Villa 1-1 Thatcham Town, Hartley Wintney 4-0 Northwood Metropolitan Police 2-1 South Park, Raynes Park Vale 4-0 Westfield.

UXBRIDGE: 1 Andrew McCORKELL; 2 Luke PARIS; 3 Bryan TAYLOR (12 Lewis PATRICK, 33′); 4 Lewis PEGG: 5 Alan HEDLEY; 6 Lewis COLE; 7 Alex WITHAM (16 Prince Ogunmekan, 74′); 8 Alex PAINE; 9 Bernard MENSAH (15 Elijah Anthony, 74′); 10 George MOORE; 11 Kensley MALONEY. Not used: 14 Shaun PREDDIE; 17 Shake MUGHAL.

Booked: Price. Sent off: Pegg.