| GUERNSEY | 3 | – | 0 | LANCING |
| Goubert 78′ Loaring 88′ Murray 90+4′ |
Guernsey made hard work of it but will play their Southern Combination Premier Division semi-final at home after the eventually overcame relegated Lancing at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
Perhaps with a combination of their patchy form, several players trying to find their rhythm again after injury and time wasting tactics from their visitors that bordered on farcical, the Green Lions struggled to find any flow and – despite hitting the bar twice in two minutes in the first half – looked disjointed across the pitch.
Eventually, it was a tale of supersubs as George Goubert finally gave the Sarnians the goal they needed within moments of coming on, then Jamie Dodd came on to send in two long throws that led to goals in the closing stages.
Lancing were very much out to spoil the party and almost every player went down after a challenge for lengthy treatment for an “injury” at some point in the game. To be fair to them, it was working as it meant GFC were unable to build up any sort of momentum in the game and became more frustrated. The fact there were only five minutes of injury time in the first half and six in the second were very generous to the visitors.
Within two minutes, Callum Le Lacheur worked a change for Sam Murray just inside the area, but his shot was straight at Lancers keeper Elliot Dailly. Josh Addison’s early tester was to comfortably scoop up a low effort from Archie McGonigle from outside the box. A poor ball out from Addison then gifted Eirianios Keskinis an early chance but he couldn’t capitalise as his shot was deflected wide.
The Lancing goal lived a very charmed life in a two minute spell shortly after the quarter-hour mark. Following GFC’s first flowing move of the game Fin Patterson drove through the middle and played in Callum Le Lacheur, who beat the keeper with his shot but it bounced clear off the crossbar. Only a minute later, the ball fell to Charlton Gauvain in a similar position – same type of effort, same result off the same bit of the woodwork – GFC couldn’t believe their bad luck.
Patterson fired just wide of the near post after Allen had collected a corner and found him with a square ball, then Addison made a smart block at his near post after the visitors had worked the ball across the area for Sczymon Kowalczyk.
The Lancing wideman had another good opportunity from close range but was off balance and fired straight at Addison, who launched an immediate counter that resulted in Jacques Cauvin’s effort from the corner of the box being held by Dailly.
Murray came within a whisker of snatching the lead in first-half injury time as he collected from Allen on the edge of the six yard box with his back to goal. He eventually shrugged his marker off but his effort on the turn was deflected just over.
It was a similar story in the second half, with Lancing frustrating their hosts while trying to nick something on the break. James Rhodes managed to find Mohamed Khedidji round the back but Addison held the curling effort at the second attempt.
Guernsey thought they had taken the lead five minutes into the second half from a Gauvain corner that led to a mad scramble, but the ball somehow stayed out. Dailly made a hash of dealing with Gauvain’s cross, the ball dropped behind him with the Guernsey players adamant that the ball had gone over the line. The assistant kept his flag down before another shot driven at goal was diverted onto the cross bar and another close range effort was cleared off the line.
Substitute Fin du Port send a free-kick whistling just past the left post, with Addison then sparing his side with 20 minutes to go with a key double save – first rushing out to block from Kowalczyk, then spreading himself to keep out the rebound with an outstretched foot.
The game to keep an eye on elsewhere was Horsham YM’s trip to Newhaven, as they just had to better GFC’s result to sneak into third place. Having been two behind, they were level by half-time, then 3-2 up, then pegged back to 3-3. Then the news came through they had scored two quick goals to lead 5-3 and GFC were in a position where they now had to score or else face an away semi-final.
Goubert replaced Patterson in the 77th minute and shortly after was celebrating giving his side the lead. Du Port found him on the left wing and he jinked forward and cut inside onto his right foot, eventually opening up enough space for a low shot from the edge of the area that sneaked into the bottom left corner. The roar from the 1,300-strong crowd at Victoria Park was as much relief as it was joy as Goubert celebrated his second goal for the club.
Ross Allen let fly from 25 yards with an effort that required the fingertips of Dailly to help it over, but the shackles were finally off. Jamie Dodd was brought on for the last few minutes for his experience, promptly picked the ball up for a throw in and sent in a delivery that led to the points being sealed. His first delivery was flicked on by Murray and looked destined for goal but a Lancing defender clearly pushed the ball out with his hand – it would have been a clear penalty and red card if not for the fact that Matt Loaring was waiting to head in the loose ball and make the result safe.
Deep into injury time, Dodd was at it again as he found Murray with another long throw. No intervention required this time as the number 9’s flicked on looped in at the far post to put the icing on the cake – his 31st league goal of the season that looks to have secured him the division’s Golden Boot.
All that means we will be back at Victoria Park next Saturday to face a Horsham YN side that have beaten us twice this season – but it’s better than the alternative of having to go to them. Steyning Town got the result they needed to secure the league title – congratulations to them – which means Haywards Heath Town are also condemned to the play-offs where they will face Peacehaven & Telscombe.
Saturday’s other results were as follows: Bexhill United 0-4 Pagham, Crawley Down Gatwick 1-0 AFC Varndeanians, Eastbourne United 2-0 Haywards Heath Town, Forest Row 0-2 Wick, Lingfield 5-0 Shoreham, Little Common 0-2 Midhurst & Easebourne, Newhaven 3-5 Horsham YM, Peacehaven & Telscombe 2-2 Roffey, Seaford Town 0-2 Steyning Town.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN (23 Frazer MAGINNIS, 79′); 8 Matt LOARING; 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 15 Ben SOLWAY (3 Jamie DODD, 87′); 16 Gil HUNTER; 17 Callum LE LACHEUR (12 Fin DU PORT, 58′); 18 Dave MERRIS; 21 Jacques CAUVIN (5 Tom VAUDIN, 71′); 22 Fin PATTERSON (20 George GOUBERT, 77′).
Booked: Goubert.
LANCING: 1 Elliot DAILLY; 2 Isaac BROWN; 3 Oliver DEDA; 4 Scott PACKER (c); 5 Momchil YORDANOV; 6 Alfie KNIGHT; 7 Sczymon KOWALCZYK (14 Baran KATRAL, 82′); 8 Eirianios KESKINIS (15 Robert DEDA, 89′); 9 Archie McGONIGLE (12 Denzell DUBE, 89′); 10 James RHODES (16 Finley MILES, 75′); 11 Mohamed KHEDIDJI (13 Adrian Jiminez NSUE-SHA, 67′).
Booked: Knight, Packer.
Attendance: 1,307.
