Goals: Flaherty 26’, 59’; Simon 66’ – Patterson 84’.

Guernsey battled hard with all the luck against them on Wednesday night as they went down fighting against second-placed Kingstonian.

The Green Lions were down to the bare bones as it was without losing three players to injury and had to play a large chunk of it with 10 men, but a great show of spirit saw them dig in late on and create a consolation for teenager Fin Patterson.

It was a lively start from both sides with Charlton Gauvain’s wicked free-kick almost causing a defender to turn into his own net inside a minute but the ball bounced mercifully off the crossbar with the rebound headed wide.

At the other end, Josh Addison reacted quickly to push over a header and then stuck out a leg to divert wide as Ks top scorer Eddie Simon tried to shoot across goal. Simon almost got through again around 20 minutes but Addison stood his ground to block. The visitors immediately broke and Gauvain teed up Zach Gilman outside the area, but the shot was well over.

Addison blocked again one on one as Bradley Wilson got in behind, then the Guernsey stopper flung himself full stretch to his left to keep out Simon’s curler.

Gauvain spotted Liam Allen off his line when intercepting the ball on the halfway line but dragged the shot harmlessly wide. Addison was putting in another claim for man of the match as he dived and pushed wide as a low shot came in from the edge of the area.

The deadlock was finally broken by the hosts after 25 minutes. Addison came rushing out of goal to block from Simon (there were strong calls for handball and he was eventually booked) but the referee played the advantage for captain Stan Flaherty to run onto the loose ball and clip it into the empty net from the right channel.

The Green Lions almost levelled out of the blue moments later as Brandon Wallace followed in having driven strongly down the left and played it out wide. He was on the edge of the area for a loose ball as the cross from the left was blocked, but got underneath it and sent it over.

Murray was denied by a routine save from Allen as he tried to steer the ball towards the corner from outside the box on the break, but the defence were breathing another sigh of relief at the other end as a low shot from the edge of the box just whistled wide of the post.

Simon’s fancy footwork earned him an opening on the edge of the area only for him to skew wide, but the Ks were well in their stride now with the Sarnains seeing what they could pinch on the break. But the home number nine was wondering how he didn’t make it two just before the break as the hosts won possession back high up the pitch. Addison made another crucial close-range block but the goal was gaping for Simon to finish the rebound but he somehow put it over less than six yards out.

The start to the second half was tame by comparison. It took a while longer for a change as Ben Parkinson sliced a volley wide, while Addison claimed a well-struck shot from Flaherty.

The Ks skipper wasn’t to be denied his brace a few minutes later though as he curled a lovely effort out of Addison’s reach into the top corner to double his side’s lead just before the hour. He was looking for his hat-trick moments later but his dipping free-kick went over the bar.

The game was well and truly over midway through the second half as Simon finally got his customary goal, finishing neatly past Addison from the angle after breaking into the area.

GFC almost grabbed what would have been a merited consolation as they closed down high up the pitch and Gilman centred but Murray couldn’t make a clean connection on his volley and it bounced safely into Allen’s possession.

The Green Lions’ luck really is at rock bottom right now and was only made worse with Sam Murray coming off with a knock late on when Tony Vance had already used the two subs he had available to cover first-half injuries to Niall Hainsworth and Gauvain, leaving the team to battle on with just 10 men.

But they did have something to cheer in the final few minutes as Fin Patterson grabbed his second goal for the club, helping the ball into the ceiling of the net from close range after Allen had saved Wallace’s initial cross shot following a neat move across the pitch from the visitors.

That goal at least ensured the Sarnians wouldn’t set a new unwanted record of five games without a goal.

Addison held well from Iker Noguera Leon after a pull-back as Kingstonian looked to re-establish their three-goal lead. Matt Loaring could even have set up a tense finish after another hard press won the ball back on the edge of the area. Loaring managed to get round Allen but blazed over from the angle.

There was one final neat save from Addison at his near post but the Green Lions could leave with their heads held high, banking a decent performance ahead of a far more crucial trip to South Park on Saturday.

The other Isthmian South Central midweek results were as follows: Badshot Lea 0-1 Hartley Wintney, Farnham Town 3-2 Hayes & Yeading United, Hanworth Villa 0-1 Leatherhead, Harrow Borough 1-1 South Park (Reigate).

KINGSTONIAN: 1 Liam ALLEN; 2 Arsen UJKAJ; 4 Reuben DUNCAN; 6 Joe HICKS; 7 Stan FLAHERTY (c) (18 Iker NOGUERA LEON, 82’); 9 Eddie SIMON; 10 Bradley WILSON (11 Dan ROWE, 71’); 12 Palace FRANCIS (16 Rocky WILLIAMS, 76’); 15 Ben PARKINSON; 17 Joe PRATLEY-JONES (5 Mitchal GOUGH, 71’); 20 James McSHANE. Not used: 13 Ewan CARLIN.

Booked: Pratley-Jones, Ujkaj.