| GUERNSEY | 3 | – | 0 | PAGHAM |
| Fazakerley (pen) 32′, 90+3′ Murray 90+7′ |
Guernsey got the 2026-27 season of to a positive start after eventually seeing off Pagham at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
The game was closer than the scoreline suggests, with Will Fazakerley’s brace clincher and Sam Murray bundled finish coming in injury time after the visitors had threatened an equaliser – and were unlucky not to be awarded one.
Kaleem Haitham thought he has levelled on 84 minutes as he slotted across goal past Addison. The ball bounced away, with the visitors adamant that the ball had bounced off the wheel arch inside the goal and was over the line. They probably had a point – but the referee and his assistant thought the ball had hit the far post and waved away the protests to infuriate Pagham, who would argue that they would then have been in a good position to go on and win the game.
As it turned out, the fortune went the way of the Green Lions and their two big men in attack got one each in the dying embers to wrap up the points. Fazakerley had given his side the lead shortly after the half hour with a confident penalty.
Guernsey made an encouraging shot, with a deflection on Simon Arnold shot sending it looping into the arms of Connor Millar, but Josh Addison was soon in action, getting down quickly to push away a low Harry Giles effort from the edge of the box.
A Pagham defender denied Fazakerley as he tried to make the most or Murray’s flick on. The game was quite scrappy for a while with the Greens struggling to find a rhythm and the visitors enjoying a lot of possession.
But nerves were settled just after the half-hour as Fazakerley broke into the box and was felled on the corner of the six-yard box. The forward is full of confidence and volunteered to take the penalty himself, driving the ball confidently into the corner to Millar’s left.
Faz nearly had another one five minutes later with a low effort from the edge of the box that zipped just wide, and he lashes another effort just over Millar’s crossbar in first-half injury time. In another good chance for Pagham, Addison was briefly concerned by a Howard Neighbour effort that rolled wide across goal.
Tony Vance’s side looked much more in control after the interval. Murray met a Charlton Gauvain corner at the far post and send a volley fizzing just over, while Fazakerley sent the ball wide after collect a poor Millar kick out and trying to lob the Pagham stopper from range.
Haitham drawing a good save from Addison after getting in behind Ben Solway gave GFC something to think about, but the hosts were creating some promising openings. A well-worked team move on the hour found Fazakerley, who floated a brilliant ball into the path of Murray but the big number nine couldn’t quite sort his feet out. Murray then timed his run well to break in behind and, having been forced wide by the away defence drilled a low ball across goal that was just out of Callum Le Lacheur’s reach.
Pagham started to turn the screw in the closing stages, leading the aforementioned chance that left them with an understandable sense of injustice. The protest would continue from players and coaches a like for the rest of them game.
Vance’s side were hanging on a little by this point as the Whites probed for a late leveller and there was a bit of concern when seven minutes were added on due to a lengthy injury stoppage.
Thankfully Vance was able to turn to George Goubert from the substitute’s bench and he did what he does best, driving in from the left-hand side before slotting a ball into the channel to put Fazakerley in behind. Faz kept his cool to tuck the ball past Millar to relieve the pressure and seal the points.
Murray put the icing on the cake in almost the last minute of injury time as he ran in at the far post to meet a Gauvain corner and plant a header in from close range to get his season off and running and bag what was Guernsey’s 100th goal scored at Victoria Park.
The result means the Green Lions have finally got one over on Pagham, who won both meetings last season.
The games are coming thinking and fast already, with a tough trip to relegated East Grinstead Town on Tuesday night before welcoming Crowborough Athletic to Victoria Park in the FA Cup next Saturday.
Saturday’s other Southern Combination Premier Division results were as follows: Billingshurst 1-2 Bexhill United, Eastbourne United 5-1 Wick, Hassocks 5-1 Lingfield, Haywards Heath Town 0-0 East Grinstead Town, Horsham YM 2-3 AFC Varndeanians, Lancing 0-1 Seaford Town, Midhurst & Easebourne 3-0 Forest Row, Newhaven 1-1 Crawley Down Gatwick, Roffey 8-0 Little Common.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 2 Niall HAINSWORTH (23 Archie DRILLOT, 70′); 6 Seb VANCE; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN (c); 9 Sam MURRAY; 14 Simon ARNOLD (3 Jamie DODD, 90+3′); 15 Ben SOLWAY; 17 Callum LE LACHEUR (20 George GOUBERT, 75′); 18 Dave MERRIS (25 Dylan GRAHAM, 65′); 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 21 Jacques CAUVIN. Not used: 16 Corey BROUARD.
PAGHAM: 1 Connor MILLAR; 2 Aaron O’BRIEN (12 Toby HEWITT, 65′); 3 Alfie DAVIDSON; 4 Harry GILES; 5 Owen SHERIFF; 6 Mike GILCHRIST; 7 Kieran JONES (15 Vince MASON, HT); 8 Jamie HORNCASTLE (14 Liam MURPHY, 77′) 9 Howard NEIGHBOUR (c); 10 David CROUCH (16 Jack NEWHOUSE, 70′); 11 Kaleem HAITHAM. Not used: 17 Joe BRIFFA.
Attendance: 666.
