| GUERNSEY FC WOMEN | 2 | – | 3 | BOURNEMOUTH SPORTS RESERVES |
| Rodrigues 24′ Marsh 36′ Pitcher 82′ | Smith 54′ Dawber 85′ |
Guernsey FC Women could count themselves unlucky to be on the wrong side of the odd goal in five at Victoria Park on Saturday.
The Green Lionesses were worthy of a point in an exciting game that saw them threaten to come back from two goals down twice as Ruby Smith got her first goal at Footes Lane and Heidi Dawber her first for the club.
Still missing plenty of experience, the Sarnians started really strongly, with a goalmouth scramble nearly leading to an early goal before it was diverted away for a corner from which Aimee Ogier had a header saved, while Smith’s fancy footwork created a yard of space for herself in the box but she was off balance as she struck and could only poke the ball straight at Chloe Traves.
A speculative dipping lob from Dawber dropped over the top and when Bournemouth Sports took the lead midway through the half it was against the run of play.
It came from the softest of free-kicks after Abi Lander gave up on chasing the ball after what looked like a 50/50 physical contest and the referee award a set piece on the right side of the area. Sofia Rodrigues took it left-footed and curled it out of Alana Hockey’s reach into the far corner.
Having been the better side, the goal knocked the home side’s confidence, while the visitors’ grew. A defence-splitting pass put Florrie Marsh to make it two on 36 minutes. Hockey got a hand to the shot but it bounced in off the post.
The hosts did get one lucky break as Rodrigues was bizarrely flagged offside when she ran from behind her marker to seize on a lose ball and finish at the near post, and so it remained two at the break.
The return of Elise Le Lacheur from injury prompted a slight reshuffle of personnel and Guernsey became a threat going forward again. Adrienne Leech must take a lot of the credit as she chased a through ball and applied enough pressure to forced her marker into a mistake. Leech bore down on Traves before unselfishly squaring for Smith to tap into an empty net. Game on.
Another change of Kellie Creed for Mollie Watson saw Le Lacheur redeployed to the right alongside Leech and the two of them were causing concern for the visiting defence. The pressure was cranking up but there was still danger at the other end and Hockey stood tall to make a good save with her legs to deny Freya Jennings, who had broken through the defence.
The visitors restored their two-goal lead with eight minutes left as the ball was played across the area for Tilly Pitcher, who slotted into the corner.
But the Greens refused to give up and with five minutes left of the 90, a cross found it’s way to Dawber, who drilled into the corner for her first goal for the club.
Hockey made another great save to push over Jenning’s effort deep into injury time, and unfortunately the hosts’ time ran out.
The defeat means the Green Lionesses’ winless run stretches to seven with five defeats in six games. Bournemouth Sports have leapfrogged Anna Gauvain’s side to send them down to seventh.
GUERNSEY FC WOMEN: 21 Alana HOCKEY; 2 Adrienne LEECH; 3 Mollie WATSON (14 Kellie CREED, 75′); 4 Aimee OGIER; 5 Steph BATISTE; 6 Scarlett KENNEALLY; 7 Codie LE FLEM (12 Elise LE LACHEUR, HT); 8 Candice BOUGOURD (c); 9 Ruby SMITH; 10 Donna GALLIENNE; 11 Heidi DAWBER. Not used: 14 Emily McCARTNEY; 16 Eleanor JAMIESON; 17 Kirstie MARQUIS.
BOURNEMOUTH SPORTS RESERVES: 61 Chloe TRAVES; 2 Abi RUSSELL; 4 Lauren SMALLWOOD (c); 7 Ella BEEDLES; 8 Abi YANEZ; 10 Freya JENNINGS; 11 Sofia RODRIGUES; 14 Maddie VASS; 20 Florrie MARSH; 22 Tilly PITCHER; 26 Abi LANDER. Subs (rolling): 9 Sarah PLUMMER; 13 Kiera DeANGELIS; 17 Charlotte KERR; 19 Erin SWANTON.
