Guernsey 1 (Acey 20′)
South Park 1 (Simpson 29′)
Guernsey FC were forced to settle for a point on Easter Monday after a 1-1 draw against South Park.
Ben Acey scored his 4th goal of the league season in the 20th minute with a curling right-footed effort that looped over goalkeeper Otuyo and found the back of the net.
Melford Simpson, who scored a hat-trick the first time the two sides met this season, responded for the visitors and struck his 16th league goal of the campaign on the half hour mark.
Tony Vance’s side were looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking last minute defeat against Bedfont Sports on Saturday, and the squad was boosted coming into the South Park fixture with the return of Kez Mahon following the completion of his suspension, while Charlton Gauvain was also reintroduced after being rested at the weekend.
The Green Lions struggled on their trip to Reigate in late March as South Park ran out as 6-1 winners, although Monday’s visitors came to Guernsey without many of the players that helped them to their resounding victory.
GFC dominated the opening exchanges of Monday’s fixture although real clear-cut chances were few and far between.
The Guernsey backline weren’t affording South Park’s potent attack any opportunities in the opening 20 minutes and then young Ben Acey gave the Green Lions a well-deserved lead with his strike from just inside the area.
The 17-year-olds effort was 3rd goal in 4 games for GFC as he also struck in the 2-1 win at home to Chalfont St Peter and in the 4-3 loss to Bedfont at the weekend.
Guernsey continued to display their dominance following Acey’s opener and some fine work down the right hand side by the returning Charlton Gauvain nearly gave Fazarkeley a tap-in, if not for a last-ditch intervention from South Park’s left back.
The visitors made it 1-1 against the run of play in the 30th minute as powerful striker Melford Simpson carried on where he left off in the reverse fixture, fending off a number of GFC defenders in the area before sliding beyond Lucas Hanley from a tight angle to equalise.
South Park began to show the first signs of gamesmanship towards the end of the first period and their tactics would only appear more frequently after the break, often overshadowing the action that took place in between the breaks for injuries.
Guernsey found creating chances a tougher task in the second-half and the visitors looked the more likely to take the lead, constantly causing threat from Matthew MacKenzie’s long throw-ins.
GFC’s best chance of the half came deep into stoppage time as Kez Mahon struck from range, although Otuyo got low and kept the midfielder’s effort out.
Acey’s curler turned out to be Guernsey FC’s last home goal of the campaign as the Green Lions shared the points with South Park.
The draw means that Tony Vance’s side stay 14th in the Isthmian South Central, although Guernsey could still finish as high as 11th if they secure an unlikely final day win at Hanwell Town, and if Thatcham, Northwood and Ashford all fall to defeat in their last fixtures.
The South Park fixture is almost certain to be the last outing of the campaign for Kieran Mahon, Ross Allen, Jamie Dodd, Jacob Fallaize, Keene Domaille, Tom Dodds, Charlton Gauvain and Dave Rihoy, who are all included in the Alderney Muratti Squad, which takes place on the same day as the Hanwell game.
The visitors stay in 9th following he draw and Binfield’s win at Basingstoke means Harrison Williams’ men will finish the season in that spot after an impressive last few months.
