Goals: Le Lacheur 19′; Allen 45+1′ – Dansoko (pen) 17′; Sentamu 34′; N Fisher 42′.

Guernsey couldn’t have given much more in the second half but couldn’t quite complete the comeback against visitors Horsham YM in a ding-dong battle at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Green Lions struggled to cope with a route one Horsham in the first half, a task only made harder by the win against them and were too open in letting the visitors establish a 3-1 lead, with Callum Le Lacheur having levelled within two minutes a Horsham opener from the spot.

Ross Allen’s brilliant free-kick just before the interval set up an exciting second half but the Sarnians couldn’t force an equaliser, hitting the woodwork twice as the two sides slugged it out.

It was just an afternoon where it didn’t quite happen for GFC, rather than any sort of inquest needed.

Horsham were well up for their big weekend away and took the aerial route, going man for man on Guernsey’s back line and the hosts often found themselves open. Noel Fisher’s pot shot early on was spinning towards the corner but Josh Addison got down too it despite seeing it late. At the other end, Allen shifted into space on the edge of the box after neat, patient build-up by the Greens but the shot was straight after Harry Haines.

Horsham did find the net early as Jacob Fallaize was outmuscled on the halfway line to leave the visitors in a two-on-one against Tom Dodds. Jesse Sentamu got past him and could have scored himself but instead squared for Ousmane Dansoko finish, but this poor choice of option was punished by the offside flag.

Noel Fisher dragged wide after wriggling away from Dodds in a crowded area and Dansoko was unluckly not to give his side the lead earlier than he did, smacking the crossbar with a rasper from close range after McElligott had ghosted past Dodds in the area.

Sooner or later GFC’s luck would run out and it did after Fin du Port barged into the back of Sentamu on the edge of the six-yard box, sending him to the floor. Addison did well to get a hand to Dansoko’s penalty but couldn’t quite keep it out as it nestled right in the corner.

But this jerked the Lions into life and they were level within two minutes. Guernsey worked the ball down the right and Seb Vance pulled the ball back from the byline. A ricochet took it into the path of Lacheur to stroke it low into the far corner.

A couple of free-kicks around the half hour mark caused problems for Horsham but Patterson couldn’t quite steer the ball into the corner from Allen’s knockdown, then the Guernsey captain sent a half-volley whistling just over after Wallace’s free-kick fell to him.

But Tony Vance’s side were undone by the quick ball forward again on 34 minutes as a pass in behind Vance set Sentamu though on goal. He stayed cool to shuffle around Addison as he came out to narrow the angle and tucked the ball into the empty net.

Addison kept it down to two temporarily, beating away from Sentamu after GFC had given the ball away cheaply, but the third came on 42 minutes after the referee had played a good advantage, allowing Sentamu to send in a low centre. Guernsey were guilty of not playing to the whistle, switching off allowing Noel Fisher to finish into an empty net.

Guernsey’s defence were really struggling to cope with the ferocity of Horsham’s attacks and the away side should have made it 4-1 on 44 minutes as Noel Fisher drove in behind and squared, but Shay Matthews steered wide.

GFC needed some inspiration and they got it from their go-to man after Fin du Port was fouled just outside the D. Allen’s free-kick was Beckham-esque as he curled it over the wall and into the top-left corner to send his side into half-time with every chance.

The second half was about Horsham holding onto what they had, and they defended resolutely, along with a slice of luck too. Haines held comfortably from du Port’s potshot within a minute of the restart.

With the wind behind them, it was now Guernsey’s turn to test their opponents with direct balls and crosses into the box. Substitute Will Fazakerley was having a real impact and almost created the equaliser on 70 minutes as he headed du Port’s cross back across towards the far corner. Sam Murray challenged for it with Haines and the far post came to Horsham’s mercy.

Addison had one more good save to make in a rare Horsham attack, diving full stretch to palm away as Matthews tried to curl into the far corner, but other than that it was one-way traffic by now.

Fazakerley forced another save with a downward header that bounced awkwardly for Haines but the Horsham stopper just about scrambled it away. The resulting corner found Fallaize at the far post and his header hit the foot of the post and he couldn’t quite turn in the rebound.

A similar header from Murray was foiled by Haines and the Green Lions had run out of time, having to accept defeat to a side that celebrated afterwards as if they had won the league.

It doesn’t get any easier for Guernsey, with their biggest test of the season coming next week, visiting runaway leaders Haywards Heath Town.

Guernsey drop to sixth in the Southern Combination Premier Division but still have a game in hand on a couple of the teams above them. Saturday’s results were as follows: AFC Varndeanians 1-2 Wick, Bexhill United 1-5 Haywards Heath Town, Crawley Down Gatwick 2-0 Midhurst & Easebourne, Eastbourne United 5-3 Newhaven, Lancing 5-2 Shoreham, Pagham 3-0 Lingfield, Peacehaven & Telscombe 5-0 Seaford Town, Roffey 4-0 Forest Row, Steyning Town 4-0 Little Common.

HORSHAM YM: 1 Harry HAINES; 4 Archie ALEXANDER; 7 Noel FISHER; 8 Dan WEBSTER (13 Archie CASSIDY, 85′); 10 Ousmane DANSOKO (16 Sam HARDS, 58′); 14 James McELLIGOTT; 17 Leon FISHER; 20 Jesse SENTAMU (11 Kaiden HUMMERSTON, 78′); 22 Shay MATTHEWS; 23 Adam ADAM (15 Jimmy WILLIAMS, 71′); 24 Gideon ACHEAMPONG (c). Not used: 18 Tommy McKENNA.

Booked: Alexander.