| GUERNSEY | 5 | – | 0 | HORSHAM YM |
| Goubert 18′ Allen (pen) 48′, 64′ Murray 50′ Fazakerley 84′ |
Guernsey looked back to their old selves as they saw off a new-look Horsham YM with very little in response at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
What little Seb Sheppard had to do, he did with minimal fuss, claiming the ball when called upon and making one very easy gather from a shot. He did have to be a alert to pluck one out the air when Calum Dowdell tried to lob him from distance, having latched onto a sloppy free-kick out of the Guernsey defence.
Other than that, it was all a tide of green as Tony Vance’s side very quickly extended their half-time lead to put the game out of sight early in the second half, adding more glass as the game went on.
An early sighter from Ross Allen from outside the box forced William Tillman into a save, leading to a corner that eventually saw the Horsham stopper hold a scuffed low effort from Archie Drillot.
Will Fazakerley rattled the crossbar as he met Allen’s corner with a thumping header, while Dylan Graham forced another save from the edge of the D after a fearless driving run inside from the left.
This was all inside the first quarter hour, and the Green Lions got the goal their early pressure deserved on 18 minutes. Jacob Fallaize seized onto a loose ball, strode forward and tried his luck from distance. His shot struck a defender on the edge of the area but the ball ricocheted kindly for George Goubert, who shifted onto his left foot and picked out the bottom right corner with a neat finish.
After 25 minutes, Sam Murray chested town a ball forward to tee up Seb Vance but he was off balance and Tillman was able to get on the shot. Jacques Cauvin then cut in from the left and unleashed a vicious strike that cracked off the far post with Tillman well beaten.
It should have been more than the one as the half came to a close, but the slim margin was quickly obliterated after the restart.
The Sarnians made the perfect start as Goubert drove into the box and drew a foul from Edward Ovenden, not the ideal introduction for Horsham’s half-time substitute. Allen shrugged off the disappointment of his recent miss against AFC Vardneanians by stroking it confidently low to Tillman’s right. Just two minutes later and the hosts had put themselves well out of sight as a ball was only cleared as far as Allen and his cross was flicked on Goubert for Murray to help home and mark his return from injury with a goal.
Horsham’s morale was clearly shot and from then on Guernsey were in complete control.
Fazakerley caught a dropping ball well on the volley from 25 yards and sent it fizzing low towards goal. It almost squirmed under Tillman but the Horsham keeper just about held onto it.
GFC were well into their flow now and Allen made it four as the second half approached its midway point, poaching from six yards after a ricochet in the box fell kindly his way.
Fazakerley was unlucky from another header at a corner, sending it goalwards but it was held by Tillman, but he wasn’t to be denied much longer.
Fin Patterson nearly swept in a fifth on the turn after Brandon Wallace’s cross caused havoc, then the ball came back to Wallace whose curling shot was turned behind by a sprawling Tillman. Ben Solway nearly scored from the resulting corner, with his header beating Tillman but kept out by a defender on the line. Luckily, Fazakerley was also by the goal line and casually knocked in the loose ball for number five, and looked almost embarrassed to celebrate – but you have to be in the right places to get the goals.
Guernsey moved up to seventh in the Southern Combination Premier Division, but have the benefit of having played more matches than some of the teams around them. The Weekend’s other results were as follows: Billingshurst 0-1 Lancing, Crawley Down Gatwick 4-2 Little Common, Forest Row 3-1 AFC Varndeanians, Haywards Heath Town 4-0 Midhurst & Easebourne, Hassocks 2-1 Pagham, Lingfield 2-2 Eastbourne United, Seaford Town 3-2 East Grinstead Town, Wick 0-4 Roffey.
GUERNSEY: 13 Seb SHEPPARD; 6 Seb VANCE (5 Fin DU PORT, 65’) ; 9 Sam MURRAY (22 Fin PATTERSON, 61’) ; 10 Ross ALLEN (c) (16 Corey BROUARD, 69’); 15 Ben SOLWAY; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 20 George GOUBERT (11 Brandon WALLACE, 65’); 21 Jacques CAUVIN; 23 Archie DRILLOT (3 Jamie DODD, 72’); 24 Jacob FALLAIZE; 25 Dylan GRAHAM.
HORSHAM YM: 1 William TILLMAN; 2 Edgaras KAZLAUKAS (12 Zac BYRNE, 57’); 3 Johnny AKOTO (15 Edward OVENDEN, HT); 4 Tom LYONS; 5 Alfie VINCENT; 6 Kyle JOHNSTON-KAMARA; 7 Nana BAH; 8 Ryan RIDDLES; 9 Theo AIGUOBASIMWIM; 10 Connor COLLCOTT (14 Christo NANO, 47’); 11 Callum DOWDELL (16 Imanuel AKA KODJO, 77’).
Booked: Aiguobasimwim.
Attendance: 665.
