HANWORTH VILLA 3 (Wells 34’; Merson 37; Bender 87’)
GUERNSEY 0
Guernsey endured a tough evening at Hanworth Villa on Tuesday as the hosts secured their place in the Isthmian South Central play-offs.
The Green Lions never really got going and didn’t trouble Hanworth’s backline. Hanworth Villa started like they very much wanted to have their play-off place sewn up before the final day and took the game to their visitors, who could offer little in return.
Ben Geraghty headed wide inside 15 minutes, while one of Will Fazakerley’s trademark efforts from inside his own half was wayward as he tried to catch Gary Ross out.
George Wells’ long-range effort bounced wide midway through the half and Josh Addison’s first big save came on the half-hour as Meshach Williams met Kyron Richards’ dangerous low cross, with the Guernsey stopper sprawling to block it with his legs before gathering.
Addison made two more saves in quick succession. He was single-handedly keeping the score level but could not keep the Villains out much longer as they took control with a quickfire double.
Wells got the first as he fired past Addison into the top corner from long range. Two minutes later, Sam Merson broke through on the counter attack and slotted home, with the Guernsey defence incredulous that the offside flag didn’t go up.
Williams sliced wide at the crucial moment, while a heroic block from Jacob Fallaize just about kept his side in the contest in stoppage-time as he denied Gagendeep Samra.
The second half was more of the same, with Guernsey never looking like they were going to get back in it.
Theo Crawford’s snapshot from a looping throw-in rose towards the top corner but Addison was alert and turned it over. Wells should have made it three as the corner reached him at the far post but he headed over. Bender’s looping header also almost crept over Addison but the Sarnian stopper reached just high enough to hold it.
Samra’s first-time effort from 25 yards looked harmless enough as it left his boot but Addison was relieved to see it bounce off the top of the bar.
Villa goalkeeper was lucky to avoid a red card as the Green Lions prepared to take a corner, throwing an elbow at substitute Keene Domaille to send him to the floor. Domaille’s retaliation was to get up and give Ross a shove in the chest, and the keeper reacted in embarrassing fashion by throwing himself to the floor clutching his face. Unfortunately, the referee and officials hadn’t been watching at the time
Bender sent a free-kick well over the top, while substitute Danny Hale scuffed his into the wall at the other end, his second attempt found Domaille, who was offside.
Merson got in behind after good work by Jordan Ellis after 84 minutes but Addison did well to get down and tip it wide as the Hanworth number nine aimed for the bottom corner. Addison did the same again moment later, this time diverting wide of his near post as Merson took a high ball forward on the half volley.
Unfortunately, this was the catalyst for the third goal as Bender headed home the third from the resulting corner to kill off any slim hopes GFC had of getting back into the game.
Ellis slid across the face of goal in stoppage-time but his shot rolled past the far post.
The Green Lions will have to be content with 15th place at best as they now cannot catch Uxbridge on the final day. They could also still be caught by Ashford Town, who overturned a 2-0 deficit to claim all three points at Tooting & Mitcham United, condemning their next opponents Sutton Common Rovers to the relegation play-offs.
The other midweek results were as follows: Binfield 0-1 Marlow, Southall 1-4 Chipstead, Tooting & Mitcham United 2-3 Ashford Town.
Hanworth Villa: 1 Gary Ross; 2 Kyron Richards; 3 Aston Nunn; 4 Baboucarr; 5 George Wells; 6 Tom Bender (c); 7 Gagendeep Samra (12 Guy Ansah-Palmer, 81’); 8 Theo Crawford; 9 Sam Merson; 10 Ben Geraghty (15 Jordan Ellis, 70’); 11 Meshach Williams (14 Finley McNabb, 71’). Not used: 17 Kyen Nicholas; 20 Leon Solomon.
Booked: Geraghty, Williams.
Guernsey: 1 Josh Addison; 2 Tom Dodds (14 Brandon Wallace, 57’); 3 Joe Alvarez (12 Danny Hale, 62’); 4 Tom Vaudin; 5 Jacob Fallaize; 6 Kieran Mahon; 7 Dave Merris; 8 Liam Mahon; 9 Sam Murray (15 Keene Domaille, 69’); 10 Matt Loaring (c); 11 Will Fazakerley. Not used: 16 Seb Vance.
Attendance: 137.
Highlights will be available on GFCTV soon.