| GUERNSEY | 2 | – | 1 | SHEFFIELD |
| Le Lacheur 45+1′ Gauvain 54′ |
Poulter 64′ |
Guernsey got their hands back on the Mike Thomas Memorial Trophy for the first time since its debut in 2015 as they saw off the world’s oldest existing football club, Sheffield FC, at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
Two excellent finishes from either side of half time from Callum Le Lacheur and Charlton Gauvain was enough to secure the win despite the visitors pulling one back midway through the second half.
The Green Lions last won the trophy 11 years ago, beating Billericay Town by the same scoreline. But victory has gone to Huddersfield Town U21s, Bristol City, Worthing and Hartley Wintney in the times it has been contested since.
Josh Addison made a few strong saves, including one inside the first minute as he held Alex Ardwick’s free-kick after Niall Hainsworth had chopped down Harrison Poulter on the edge of the box inside 10 seconds as he stretched to get to a loose pass from Jamie Dodd.
Simon Arnold had the first tester for the hosts, receiving the ball on the edge of the box but his attempted curler flew just wide, while Addison was alert again five minutes later to block as Ardwick was teed up by Marcus McKernan and tried to bury a low effort.
Poulter nicked the ball off Hainsworth but fired straight at Addison on 34 minutes, while Fin du Port gave GFC a rare sight of goal has he met Gauvain’s low pulled back corner but his effort curled away from goal.
It was perhaps against the run of play when the Greens took the lead in first-half injury time as Le Lacheur collected a pass on the left side of the area, cut onto his right foot and picked out the far corner with a lovely curling effort to send the Sarnians into the interval in front.
Sheffield thought they had levelled with a header from a free kick early in the second half but it was flagged offside. Less than 10 minutes after the break, Gauvain doubled the hosts’ lead as GFC won the ball back high up the pitch and played it into the number seven, who shifted the ball onto his left foot before rifling the ball into the corner.
Poulter halved the deficit on 64 minutes as he brought the ball down on the left of the area and hit a clinical half volley across goal into the far corner.
Another effort from Poulter, this time a low free-kick, was pushed away by a sprawling Addison, while Tyrese Kelly had a good chance to make the game safe with five minutes left as he was put through and cut inside but his shot ricocheted away off a covering defender.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 2 Niall HAINSWORTH; 3 Jamie DODD; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN (c); 9 Sam MURRAY; 11 Brandon WALLACE; 12 Fin DU PORT; 14 Simon ARNOLD. 17 Callum LE LACHEUR; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 22 Fin PATTERSON. Subs used: 5 Alfie TORODE; 6 Corey BROUARD; 18 Dave MERRIS; 21 Riley TYRRELL; 23 Tyrese KELLY; 24 Dylan GRAHAM.
SHEFFIELD: 1 Sam GREEN; 2 Sam GREENHOUSE 3 Brandon WEBSTER; 4 Jay GLOVER; 5 Nando TAVARES; 6 Brad BEATSON; 7 Marcus McKERNAN; 8 Connor CUTTS (c); 9 Alex ARDWICK; 10 Will PORTMAN; 11 Harrison POULTER. Subs used: 12 Alex ASABA; 14 Ryan COOKE; 15 Akeem HINDS; 16 Kobbie ENYARKO.
Attendance: 292.
