| GUERNSEY FC WOMEN | 4 | – | 4 | ANDOVER NEW STREET |
| Hedley 26′, 56′ Le Flem 72′, 90+10′ | Twigg 4′ Payne 7′, 45+1′ Hayes 90+5′ |
The Green Lionsesses never know when they are beaten.
Codie Le Flem scored a stunning equaliser with almost the last kick of the game deep into injury time as Guernsey FC Women produced a dramatic comeback against Andover New Street at Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Green Lionesses once again came back from 3-1 down to level in the second half, but this time there was added drama as it looked like the game was lost when Kyla Hayes made it 4-3 five minutes past the regulation 90.
But even later, Le Flem’s amazing strike in the 100th minute snatched back a result that Anna Gauvain’s side deserved on the balance of play. They certainly didn’t deserve to be two behind at the break having also had two chalked off for offside.
However it was the worst possible start as Freya Twigg’s curler over Steph Batiste and a low effort steered into the corner by Olivia Payne put the visitors two up inside seven minutes.
But after that, the Greens looked by far the more dangerous side. Calleigh Hedley was twice flagged offside, one of them a very late call, having got in behind and finishing past Emily Evans.
But between those incidents, Hedley did get her side back into the game on 26 minutes with what has become a trademark Green Lionesses goal, running onto a Candice Bougourd through ball from deep and finding the far corner from the angle. She also had another promising opening from a similar position that she hit straight at Evans.
Steph Batiste made an excellent save to keep out Payne’s header from point-blank range, but Andover restored their two-goal cushion moments before half-time in a real blow to Guernsey against the run of play. Aimee Ogier thought she had made a vital tackle as the cross came in from Twigg from the right but the ball fell kindly for Payne to drill in her second.
Le Flem was brought on for Aimee Ogier in an attacking change at half-time, and she soon came close with a free-kick that dropped onto the roof of the net.
Guernsey could have found themselves 4-1 down as a defensive mix-up allowed the ball to be delivered to Twigg at the near post, but her stab at goal bounced away off the foot of the post.
Donna Gallienne’s corners had caused problems all afternoon and almost created a goal as Rochelle Mullen met the latest delivery at the far post but headed just wide.
But Guernsey did find their way back into it again as Hedley got her second 10 minutes into the second half, already her 10th of the season inside three games, capitalising on hesitation in the Andover defence to pinch the ball and strike low past Evans.
GFCW were lucky not to find themself 4-2 down among a flurry of chances for the visitors, two of them identical as in the space of less than a minute, Heidi Dawber twice surrendered possession cheaply, which led to chances on the edge of the box that both struck the crossbar, the first from Rebecca Screech and the second from Payne on the rebound after Batiste had saved an initial effort. Kyla Hayes then skewed wide from the corner of the six yard box as Andover recycled possession.
Football is full of fine margins and the visitors paid the price within a minute as Le Flem hauled her side level on 72 minutes, benefitting from another mistake. Evans kicked her clearance straight to the substitute, who picked out the corner to punish the error.
Le Flem should have then put her side in front almost straight from kick-off as Hedley closed down Brooke Casey-Batley and teed up her team mate for a simple finish, but Le Flem scuffed her shot in front of goal and sent the ball wide.
The game got a bit spicy with a few bits of argy-bargy between the two sets of players, but as for the action it looked like it was going to play out to a 3-3 draw. But then it looked like heartbreak for Guernsey as Hayes found herself behind the home defence and slotted past Batiste in the 95th minute – surely the winner?
No chance. This Green Lionesses team just never lie down and accept defeat, snatching a result right at the death. Hedley made up for losing the ball in midfield by winning it back instantly and lifting a pass forward for Le Flem. She had five defenders blocking her path so opted for the shot, firing in from the edge of the D with her supposedly weaker left foot into the corner to stun the visitors and send the hosts into raptures – in the 10th minute of injury time.
There was barely time for kick-off when the referee ended a feisty and exciting contest.
Le Flem’s goal ensures Gauvain’s side remain unbeaten in the Southern Region Women’s Football League Division One. Sunday’s other results were as follows: AFC Stoneham 14-0 Nursing & Shirley, Bournemouth Sports Reserves 0-1 AFC Varsity, Bursledon 4-1 Wimborne Town, Farnham Town 5-1 Bemerton Heath Harlequins, Havant & Waterlooville 8-0 Shaftesbury.
GUERNSEY: 1 Steph BATISTE; 2 Elise LE LACHEUR; 3 Heidi DAWBER; 4 Aimee OGIER; 5 Scarlett KENNEALLY; 7 Adrienne LEECH; 8 Candice BOUGOURD; 9 Calleigh HEDLEY; 10 Donna GALLIENNE; 11 Amy DALLAMORE; 20 Rochelle MULLEN. Subs used (rolling): 12 Ruby SMITH; 14 Mollie WATSON; 16 Codie LE FLEM.
Booked: Bougourd.
ANDOVER NEW STREET: 1 Emily EVANS; 2 Amelia PAYNE; 3 Kyle HAYES; 5 Brooke CASEY-BATLEY; 6 Imogen MULLENS; 7 Freya TWIGG; 9 Olivia PAYNE; 10 Summer WILLIAMS 11 Keira SMITH; 14 Alice SEDDON; 16 Nikki BARNES (c). Subs used (rolling): 4 Rebecca SCREECH; 8 Lauren PEARCE.
