| GUERNSEY | 7 | – | 2 | CRAWLEY DOWN GATWICK |
| Fazakerley 1′, 7′ Allen 6′, 57′ Murray 37′ Gauvain 39′ Le Lacheur 81′ | Tidy 45+3′ Leslie 89′ |
Guernsey racked up a century of league goals for the season as they scored another hatful at Victoria Park this afternoon, this time Crawley Down Gatwick the victims.
A blistering start saw the Green Lions one up inside 10 seconds, three up inside seven minutes and five to the good by half-time in front of the biggest crowd of the season, backed by a noisy set of airhorns sold before kick-off.
It was the third consecutive game that more than 1,000 supporters have packed into Victoria Park.
To their credit, Crawley Down never threw in the towel and deserved their consolations at the end of each half for keeping their efforts up.
Starts don’t come more perfect than they did from the Greens. Treating the kick-off as a set-piece, Ross Allen exchanged passes with Dave Merris, who clipped the ball to Charlton Gauvain, who in turn found Will Fazakerley. His effort was a scorcher as he rifled a half-volley into the top corner from the edge of the area as the clocked ticked onto 10 seconds, leaving Victoria Park in disbelief. It was Fazakerley’s 30th for the club and takes him clear of Craig Young into eighth in the all-time list.
The visitors were perhaps shellshocked as they conceded twice more in the first seven minutes. Allen turned in Gauvain’s cutback from six yards inside six minutes. Just a minute later, Brandon Wallace ran onto Jacques Cauvin’s raking crossfield pass and picked out Allen at the far post. The number 10 hooked the ball back across goal and Fazakerley threw himself at it to finish with a diving header from close range and claim his second.
The Anvils managed to steady themselves and their first effort was an arrowed one towards the top corner by Regan Davis but Josh Addison plucked it out the air.
Crawley Down keeper Will Davis’s blushes were spared as he got nowhere near a cross that was headed over him by Sam Murray, but Njagga JAMMAHL JOHN got back to prevent the effort bouncing in. That came soon after Gauvain had found the bottom corner from the edge of the area but was flagged offside.
The same fate befell Alex Tidy as he ran slightly too early onto Horley’s flick-on so his effort was ruled out as he found the bottom corner.
Addison got strong wrists to the ball to push over a goalbound effort from Rhys White, while a rising drive from Allen had Davis beaten but whistled just over the top after Gauvain and Wallace had fought to keep the chance alive.
A well-struck shot from Gauvain driving inside was held by Davis, and the number seven was eventually to be rewarded for his endeavour.
But first it was Murray’s turn, who made it four from close range at the second attempt, converting after his initial effort had been blocked on the line. His first chance arrived after Wallace lashed a shot against the crossbar.
Two minutes later and Guernsey had a fifth, Gauvain getting the goal he deserved after a quick throw-in found it’s way to him, driving home to make it double figures for the season.
A third goal was ruled out by the flag, with Murray finishing off in front of goal but Fazakerley had already been flagged off when he headed the ball across the six-yard box.
Crawley Down grabbed a consolation with the last kick of the half, as Will Horley produced a series of stepovers before teeing up Tidy to finish, with Addison furious at the failure in front of him to deal with it and deny him a clean sheet.
The commanding lead allowed Tony Vance to give Fin Patterson and Cauvin a rest for the second half, bringing on Callum Le Lacheur and Niall Hainsworth.
Murray had a couple of good chances to add to his total in the second half, the first as he stretched to meet Hainsworth’s centre after a burst down the right, but could only steer the ball wide.
A minute later, Allen’s low shot from the angle just evaded the far post or an outstretched leg after the hosts had kept up the pressure in the area.
Allen did get his second, and GFC’s sixth, shortly before the hour. Gauvain played a lovely ball forward from halfway and Le Lacheur didn’t even have to break stride as he ran on to it and crossed first time for Allen to stab it home from a couple of yards out.
Luca Intelligenza fizzed a low shot just wide for the visitors after good hold-up play from Horley, with Fazakerley then sending a curler just past the far top corner after good work by Wallace as Guernsey went straight on the attack from the goal kick.
Davis saved a curling effort from Allen and reacted well to keep out the close-range rebound as Murray looked to tuck it in. Addison then scooped up comfortably as Liam Holden bent a low free-kick around the wall.
Allen’s first chance of bagging a hat-trick was kept out at his near post by Davis, having scuffed as he ran onto Gauvain’s low corner. Gauvain then dragged wide with a low left-footed effort after being teed up by Wallace and Sam Murray stuck out a leg to block a goalbound header from Jammahl John at a corner.
Guernsey got a deserved seventh on 81 minutes as Fazakerley won the ball back in the centre circle and sent Wallace away down the left. The wideman drove into the area and dinked a lovely cross to the far post to give Le Lacheur a simple header – the goal being the club’s 100th in the Southern Combination Premier Division this season.
Substitute Beau Walter’s pot shot from range was deflected just wide as Crawley Down kept up their efforts, with GFC going up the other and Allen forcing another save from Davis. The Guernsey skipper could then only find the side netting with a low free-kick curled around the wall.
There was no begrudging the visitors getting a second on 89 minutes Holden’s initial free-kick hit the bar and Addison saved the rebound, but the loose ball fell for Oli Leslie to find the far corner from the angle.
Addison had one more save to make, punching off the line to keep out a header from a corner, but that was that as Guernsey claimed another three points in their bid to haul in the top two and tighten their grip on a play-off place.
Saturday’s other results were as follows: Bexhill United 0-1 Roffey, Haywards Heath Town 9-0 Shoreham, Little Common 0-6 Horsham YM, Midhurst & Easebourne 1-1 Peacehaven & Telscombe, Pagham 2-4 Eastbourne United, Wick 1-3 Lingfield.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN; 11 Brandon WALLACE (20 George GOUBERT, 82′); 15 Ben SOLWAY; 18 Dave MERRIS (14 Simon ARNOLD, 62′); 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 21 Jacques CAUVIN (2 Niall HAINSWORTH, HT); 22 Fin PATTERSON (17 Callum LE LACHEUR, HT); 24 Jacob FALLAIZE (16 Gil HUNTER, 76′).
Booked: Fallaize, Gauvain.
CRAWLEY DOWN GATWICK: 1 Will DAVIS; 2 Njagga JAMMAHL JOHN; 3 Regan DAVIS (14 Beau WALTER, 63′); 4 Liam HOLDEN; 5 Charlie PETTIPHER; 6 Matt RAPSON (15 Luca INTELLIGENZA, 17′); 7 Tariq VINCENT; 8 Michael BELLI (12 Dylan VINCE, 70′); 9 Will HORLEY; 10 Rhys WHITE; 11 Alex TIDY (16 Oli LESLIE, 62′). Not used: 17 Mat CRANE.
Booked: Horley.
Attendance: 1,049.
