Goals: Murray 2’, 8’; Loaring 19’.

Guernsey can smile on Christmas Day after finally getting the win they’ve been craving for weeks.

Mercifully, this was a rare stress-free afternoon as the Green Lions cruised into a 3-0 lead inside 20 minutes. Even another surprise Ross Allen penalty miss just before half-time didn’t dampen spirits. From that incident, the visitors went down to 10 men and their second half was about damage limitation and so Josh Addison had his quietest afternoon ever – not having a shot to save as the Sarnians kept their first clean sheet of the season.

Like many games this season, the hosts got off to the ideal start, with Sam Murray burying a loose ball from close range inside two minutes after Matt Loaring had been played in by Charlton Gauvain but denied by a last-ditch tackle.

Murray had bagged a brace with only seven minutes on the clock, this time sliding to convert Gauvain’s inch-perfect cross from the right after a ball out wide to him from midfield. The goal moved him onto 27 goals for the club, overtaking Glyn Dyer. 

It was pretty much one-way traffic and Murray’s persistence in battling for Allen’s clip forward set up a chance for the late-running Ben Acey to drill towards goal, but it was straight at Danny Bracken, who made the block.

Acey was heavily involved as Loaring nabbed his fourth goal in three games just a minute later. The returning midfielder, a welcome return after his short spell at Farnborough in the National League South, drove all the way down the left, cut back onto his right foot and curled in a cross. Murray missed his attempted overhead kick but the ball fell for Loaring to drill in from six yards.

Guernsey passed up a number of chances to extend their lead to four before the break. Murray was unable to convert as Fin Patterson opted to cross rather than shoot after more good work by Acey, then Acey cut in and forced another save from Bracken with a rising drive, with Patterson unable to muster enough power on the rebound to beat Bracken.

Allen’s unthinkable third penalty miss in a row came after he had been clumsily bundled to the ground by Danny Dudley. The Sparks defender was booked for the challenge and his complaints earned him a second yellow and his marching orders. Unfortunately, Allen aimed a little too high and his rising effort smacked the crossbar.

3-0 was still good value though, and this time there was no second half collapse with the visitors keen not to end up on the end of a hammering.

GFC had a few chances but could not make them count. Murray fired over as he stretched for Allen’s cushioned cross, while Allen volleyed behind from an angle after sustained pressure.

Murray thought he had a hat-trick as he stabbed home a curling free-kick from Gauvain, but the flag was quickly up to rule it out.

Gauvain seemed desperate to match his team-mate Murray in moving up the scoring charts, but his half volley of a dropping ball on the edge of the box whistled over and he then fired wide from 30 yards either side of the hour.

Good footwork in the box saw Jacques Cauvin create an opening for himself from the angle but his low shot flashed past the far post. A second attempt just minutes later after a driving run from Loaring was blocked by South Park captain Ryan Healy.

Loaring should have had his second and his side’s fourth with just under a quarter of an hour remaining as he found himself just a couple of yards out from Allen’s flick on from Dave Merris’ corner. He just had to help it in but somehow volleyed the bouncing ball up against the bar.

Owen Wallbridge should also have put the icing on the cake from the bench in injury time, as Gauvain recovered from having his one-on-one blocked by Bracken to tee up the substitute. There was plenty of the goal to aim at but Wallbridge sent it wide across goal.

So the Green Lions had to settle for three but the final whistle was still a relief at a first win in nearly six weeks and a seconf half without nail biting. The Sarnians have moved ahead of Ashford Town on goal difference and have a few more teams above them in their sights with games in hand.

The weekend’s other Isthmian South Central results were as follows: Farnham Town 1-1 Ascot United, Hanworth Villa 1-3 Kingstonian, Harrow Borough 1-0 Westfield, Horndean P-P Southall, Leatherhead 3-2 Badshot Lea, Metropolitan Police 4-2 Hayes & Yeading United, Moneyfields 4-3 Sutton Common Rovers, Raynes Lane 1-2 Uxbridge, Raynes Park Vale P-P Hartley Wintney.

SOUTH PARK (REIGATE): 1 Danny BRACKEN; 2 Jamal ABUBAKARI; 3 Antonio MORGAN; 4 Jack TURNER; 5 Danny DUDLEY; 6 Jamal SHARPE; 7 Ryan HEALY (c); 8 Craig McGEE; 9 Vinnie TUME (14 Conan TORPEY, 57’); 10 Tom SMITH (12 Callum CORBIN, 57’); 11 Bobby MILLS (15 Zack JERVIS, 45’).

Booked: Tucker, Dudley, Healy, McGee, Tume. Sent off: Dudley.