| GUERNSEY FC WOMEN | 2 | – | 1 | SHAFTESBURY |
| Le Flem 2′ Smith 14′ | Roberts 81′ |
Early goals from Codie Le Flem and Ruby Smith were enough to see off table proppers Shaftesbury on Sunday afternoon at Victoria Park as Guernsey FC Women bagged their first win of 2026.
The Green Lionesses could have had a more comfortable afternoon had they put the game to bed with their numerous other openings throughout the match, but instead endured a nervy ending with their battling visitors pulling one back with 10 minutes to go.
But the most important thing was the three points that ended a run of seven games without a win for Anna Gauvain’s side.
The Greens started like a freight train and were in front with barely a minute on the clock as Le Flem cushioned the ball down for Adrienne Leech, who returned the favour in kind and slotted in Le Flem to tuck the ball under the advancing Mollie Joyce.
Smith made it two with an instinctive finish with the game not even a quarter of an hour old, sweeping home a dropping ball from six yards after Steph Batiste headed down Donna Gallienne’s corner.
Smith was denied twice by strong saves from Joyce having broken free, and put one just wide as the Lionesses kept up the pressure.
Alana Hockey was untroubled at the other end, making a couple of comfortable saves as well as watching a couple of wayward efforts fly off target.
Joyce made another great save to keep her side in it just before half time, diving full stretch to turn away a rasper from Le Flem after Smith had teed her up.
Shaftesbury were more of a threat after the break but just couldn’t hit the target in the early stages. Lilly Greeves ballooned a shot over the cross bar having been picked out by Nicola Castle after a driving run down the right.
Hockey rushed out to make a brilliant save on 53 minutes as Poppy Failes broke in behind, blocking the first shot before the rebound was skied well over the top.
Smith should have put the game out of sight on 69 minutes as she chased a through ball. Her first effort was saved by Joyce and she send the rebound over.
A excellent double stop from Hockey ensured her side stayed two in from with little over 15 minutes left, parrying Greeves’ first effort and sliding out to smother the second.
Guernsey got behind a couple more times but their decision making let them down as twice the decision was made to square to a team-mate instead of shoot but both passes were wayward.
That profligacy was punished on 81 minutes as Shaftesbury captain Becca Roberts lashed in a great effort from outside the area to set up a nervy finish.
There were a couple of scares but the Green Lionsesses held out well for a precious three points. They moved up one place to sixth in the Southern Region Women’s Division One South with Sunday’s other results as follows: AFC Stoneham 4-4 Bursledon, Bemerton Heath Harlequins 0-0 AFC Varsity, Bournemouth Sports Reserves 0-1 Havant & Waterlooville.
GUERNSEY: 21 Alana HOCKEY; 2 Elise LE LACHEUR; 3 Mollie WATSON; 4 Aimee OGIER; 5 Steph BATISTE; 6 Scarlett KENNEALLY; 7 Codie LE FLEM; 8 Candice BOUGOURD (c); 9 Ruby SMITH; 10 Donna GALLIENNE; 11 Adrienne LEECH. Subs used (rolling): 12 Kellie CREED; 15 Eleanor JAMIESON; 20 Kirstie MARQUIS.
SHAFTESBURY: 1 Mollie JOYCE; 2 Katie EVANS; 3 Poppy FAILES; 4 Meg COLTSON; 5 Nicola CASTLE; 7 Lilly GREEVES; 9 Chelsie JOHNSON; 10 Becca ROBERTS (c); 13 Paige OWEN; 15 Lucy PIKE; 16 Kayleigh WHITTING. Subs (rolling): 11 Fleur DIXON; 14 Emily SHIELD.
Attendance: 217.
