| GUERNSEY | 3 | – | 2 | BEXHILL UNITED |
| Murray 5′ Fazakerley 12′ Le Lacheur 50′ | Saunders 25′ Shonk 45′ |
Guernsey held on with 10 men for the final 10 minutes to claim an important three points against Bexhill United on Saturday.
After another blistering start in which they found themselves two up inside 12 minutes at Victoria Park, the Green Lions were pegged back by half-time. Callum Le Lacheur restored the lead early in the second half and with Dave Merris dismissed for a second booking late on, Tony Vance’s dug in to ensure the points remained on the island, especially important with wins for all four teams around them.
It was another 1,000+ crowd that saw the Sarnians pick up another home win that strengthens their grip on a play-off place, the gap now 12 points thanks to Eastbourne United’s shock defeat to relegation threatened Lancing.
Vance was forced into a few changes due to six of his squad being involved in the U21 Muratti the night before, but that meant a return for Tom Dodds to the bench and a first appearance of the season for Matt Loaring after a knee injury.
Just moments after Will Fazakerly headed over, he receives another ball in the box. This time he laid off for Loaring to strike but Finn Holter saved well. The ball fell back to Fazakerly, who headed for the byline and dinked a cross into the middle for Sam Murray stretch and nod in from close range – his 60th goal for the club.
Holter somehow escaped punishment for pulling Murray back by the arm after the number nine had blocked a clearance from the Pirates stopper, then Merris sent a shot fizzing just wide from outside the area before the one-way traffic early doors paid off again in the 12th minute.
This time, the Bexhill defence were asleep as Brandon Wallace dashed out wide to collect a Dodd free-kick down the line. The winger delivered a low ball to near post where Fazakerley stole in to turn it home – his ninth goal of the season cementing his best return in a single campaign for the Green Lions.
Ross Allen brought down a cross from Wallace with a lovely first touch but sent his effort just over the top but the Pirates were starting to feel their way into the game by this point and pulled one back on 25 minutes as Jack Shonk hooked a cross in from the left for Will Saunders to stab in at the far post.
Shonk broke down the right himself on the counter-attack but could only find the side netting, while Sam Murray’s attempted bicycle kick from the angle was dealt with inside the six-yard box.
Wallace was sinbinned towards the end of the half as the referee took exception to his protest at the award of a throw-in, claiming the whole ball hadn’t gone out, and the visitors got back on level terms just before the break thanks to some great vision from Shonk on the left, spotting an opportunity to lob Josh Addison from the left touchline and judged it just right to send the sides in level.
Luckily it didn’t take long for the Greens to restore their lead early in the second half. A diagonal ball from the back was headed down by Fazakerley into the path of Le Lachuer, who controlled before quickly firing across goal into the bottom corner.
Addison kept his side in front just after the hour, diving to his left at full stretch as Saunders earned himself space for a shot and nearly found the far corner. Substitute Charlie Curran was also off target when he picked the ball up inside the area. Allen was also picked out by a Ben Solway cross but was unable to divert the ball in, sending it wide of the near post.
Having been booked early in the match, Merris’ trip on the edge of his own booked was deemed a second bookable office and the hosts would have to see out the closing stages a man short. Shonk tried to sneak the resulting free-kick into the bottom corner but a sprawling Addison turned it wide.
Vance made a couple of defensive changes to shore things up in the closing stages, and it worked as Guernsey suffered few scares in the dying moments to ensure the top two remain within their sights.
Saturday’s other Southern Combination Premier Division results were as follows: Lancing 2-1 Eastbourne United, Little Common 2-2 Forest Row, Pagham 2-1 Newhaven, Peacehaven & Telscombe 2-1 Midhurst & Easebourne, Roffey 1-1 AFC Varndeanians, Seaford Town 1-3 Wick, Shoreham 0-2 Horsham YM, Steyning Town 3-2 Crawley Down Gatwick.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 3 Jamie DODD; 8 Matt LOARING (20 George GOUBERT, 75′); 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE (4 Tom DODDS, 87′); 15 Ben SOLWAY; 17 Callum LE LACHEUR (5 Tom VAUDIN, 79′); 18 Dave MERRIS; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 24 Jacob FALLAIZE. Not used: 22 Fin PATTERSON; 23 Frazer MAGINNIS.
Booked: Merris, Wallace, Solway. Sent off: Merris. Sinbin: Wallace.
BEXHILL UNITED: 1 Finn HOLTER; 2 Dale PENN; 3 Harry MARCHANT; 5 Callum BRAND; 6 Kyle HOLDEN; 7 Ryan MOIR; 8 Charlie PLAYFORD; 9 Jack SHOCK; 10 Charlies SCARLES; 11 Will SAUNDERS (12 Charlie CURRAN, 72′); 17 Dan ROGERS. Subs: 14 Theo COOMBS; 15 Mardy OVENDEN; 16 Andy CORRIGAN; 18 Ash LATUSKE.
Booked: Playford.
Attendance: 1,006.
