| GUERNSEY FC WOMEN | 1 | – | 1 | AFC STONEHAM |
| Hedley 4′ | House 65′ |
Guernsey FC Women came out of their toughest test so far this campaign with a deserved point as they became the first team to take points off AFC Stoneham this season.
Calleigh Hedley’s early strike was cancelled out by Mia House’s lob midway through the second half at Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon and both sides had opportunities to win an entertaining game.
It means the Green Lionesses remain unbeaten after five games in their debut season in the UK league structure.
Having been notoriously slow starters this season, this time it was the Sarnians who raced into an early lead. They had already knocked on the door as Hedley and Heidi Dawber came close to forcing home Jess Frampton’s cross, but the goal was a classic Green Lionesses goal as a high ball into the channel (this time from Aimee Ogier rather than Candice Bougourd), was finished off by Hedley.
Stoneham defender Millie Evans thought she was dealing with a routine high ball to shepherd back to her goalkeeper and was caught off guard as Hedley burst past her and lobbed Emma Stait from the edge of the box. She dragged wide from the angle just a minute later.
Ogier was the width of the crossbar away from doubling the lead on eight minutes as she got her head to Bougourd’s corner, with Hedley only able to find the hands of Stait on the rebound.
Despite their shaky start, the visitors played they way into the game and were moving the ball around nearly, but the Sarnians generally kept them at arms length. Stoneham’s first sight of goal came as captain Mia Flood drove forward but her low shot from 25 yards fizzed just past the foot of Alana Hockey’s right-hand post.
Hedley almost made Evans pay for a defensive mistake just before the half hour as she seized onto the loose ball and cut across the edge of the area, but her shot back across herself bounced off the foot of the upright and away to safety.
Zoe Bache almost picked out an excellent equaliser as she aimed for the top corner from 25 yards, but Hockey made a flying save to her left to turn the ball wide with her fingertips at full stretch.
She past her second big test on her home debut too, rushing out to block from Bache again after the away side had worked the ball into the box.
The Greens were close to doubling the lead almost straight from the restart as Hedley played in Adrienne Leech in the left channel. Leech closed in on goal but the angle was still against her as she reached the six-yard box and Stait blocked with her legs.
Hockey had to stick out a leg to deny House at her near post as Stoneham grew back into it, and GFC were lucky to not be pegged back on the hour as Meg Newton collected House’s low cross but missed the target from point-blank range, almost making an instant impact off the bench.
But it was a sign of things to come as the visitors levelled on 65 minutes. House’s speculative hook towards goal just evaded Hockey at full stretch and the ball dropped in just under the crossbar.
There was a bit of a wobble from the hosts over the next few minutes and Newton almost turned the result on its head instantly but shot straight at Hockey twice after breaking through.
The hosts steadied themselves again and Vicki Rang headed just wide meeting Gallienne’s corner. Hedley fired just wide after being played in by Rochelle Mullen, hurried into an early shot by the onrushing Stait. Ruby Smith also came close to beating Stait to a ball over the top but the visiting keeper reacted well.
Hedley was put though on the angle by Bougourd in injury time but couldn’t wrap her foot round the shot and could only find the side netting.
A scrambled chance at the other end as Stoneham broke into the box was snuffed out by the heroics of Hockey and Scarlett Kenneally, leaving them both worse for wear. This brought an end to an exciting afternoon.
The Green Lionsesses dropped to sixth in the Southern Region Women’s Division One South, but remain one of only three teams unbeaten. Sunday’s other results were as follows: AFC Varsity 0-1 Havant & Waterlooville, Bursledon 1-5 Andover New Street, Shaftesbury 0-1 Bemerton Heath Harlequins, Wimborne Town 0-7 Farnham Town.
GUERNSEY: 1 Alana HOCKEY; 2 Amy DALLAMORE; 3 Heidi DAWBER; 4 Aimee OGIER; 5 Vicki RANG; 6 Scarlett KENNEALLY; 7 Adrienne LEECH; 8 Candice BOUGOURD (c); 9 Calleigh HEDLEY; 10 Donna GALLIENNE; 18 Jess FRAMPTON. Subs (rolling): 12 Elise LE LACHEUR; 14 Mollie WATSON; 15 Ruby SMITH; 20 Rochelle MULLEN.
Booked: Dawber.
AFC STONEHAM: 1 Emma STAIT; 2 Kayden WOOD; 4 Millie EVANS; 5 Izzy SULLI; 6 Aimee GRITT; 7 Larnie BISSON; 9 Mia HOUSE; 10 Zoe BACHE; 14 Mia FLOOD (c); 15 Lucy BICKNELL; 18 Pyrena HEATH. Subs (rolling): 3 Sophie LUNNON; 16 Summer GOUCH; 17 Abby CHOW; 20 Meg NEWTON.
Booked: House. Sent off: House.