| ROFFEY | 2 | – | 3 | GUERNSEY |
| Mesquita 35′ Tolfrey 90+5′ | Cauvin 26′ Allen 50′ Murray 90′ |
Guernsey are just one point away from securing a play-off place after a hard fought win at Roffey on Saturday afternoon.
Two scorchers from Jacques Cauvin and Ross Allen gave the Green Lions the advantage before a late header from Sam Murray meant that no damage was done by a late reply from the hosts, who had also levelled the game before half-time.
The Boars were disciplined and steadfast in holding their defensive line, setting out a challenge to the Sarnians to break them down. They came close in the sixth minute as Allen, Brandon Wallace and Will Fazakerley combined well to get the ball in to Murray but Montgomery Watson-Price dealt with the header.
Jahobi Maher got on the end of a cross to test Josh Addison for the first time but the Guernsey stopper was equal to it. Callum Le Lacheur then put a great cross in towards Murray but a defender took the ball off his toe as he prepared to strike.
The deadlock was broken by an unlikely source as Jacques Cauvin struck on 26 minutes. Like Fazakerley, he had two goals chalked off his tally by the Midhurst & Easebourne abandonment, and this was a similar strike to his second in that game as he collected from Wallace, strode forward and walloped the ball into the right corner from 25 yards.
But the lead lasted only 10 minutes as Tom Tolfrey picked out Max Mesquita, who shifted onto his left foot away from Niall Hainsworth before burying into the far corner out of Addison’s reach.
The hosts were buoyed by their leveller and the Greens had Addison to thank for smothering a shot at his near post after Roffey had got in behind, with a sliding challenge from Matt Loaring snuffing out the chance of a rebound for Mesquita.
Dave Merris cleared the bar shortly before half-time and the teams went in level, but an absolute peach from captain Ross Allen restored the visitors’ lead just five minutes into the second half. Callum Le Lacheur drove inside and an intervention from his marker sent the ball in the direction of the Guernsey number 10 clipped it first time from 25 yards to whip it into the top corner – a goal of the season contender.
The action fell fallow for a little while but hotted up again in the final quarter-hour. Addison made another important save as Jack Poplett broke through before Le Lacheur fired just wide at the other end.
Hainsworth’s persistence forced Josh Neathey to misfire when breaking through one on one while Addison denied Mesquita again.
In a vintage non-league moment, a dog getting onto the pitch – twice – caused a delay that would add a signficant chunk of injury time. But just before the 90 was up, Murray netted what proved to be the winner. He was almost on the goal line as he nodded home a hooked cross from Allen.
It was welcome breathing space as Tolfrey headed home from a corner in the 95th minute, but the Lions kept possession well late on to hold onto three precious points. A draw at home to Forest Row on Easter Monday will secure a top-five finish and the aim remains a home semi-final – made more interesting by another surprise defeat to a 10-man Little Common that means GFC are just five points behind with a game in hand.
The weekends other Southern Combination Premier Division results were as follows: AFC Varndeanians 2-1 Lancing, Crawley Down Gatwick 3-1 Pagham, Forest Row 0-3 Horsham YM, Little Common 1-0 Haywards Heath Town, Peacehaven & Telscombe 0-1 Eastbourne United, Steyning Town 3-0 Bexhill United, Wick 2-2 Shoreham, Lingfield 1-4 Midhurst & Easebourne, Seaford Town 1-2 Newhaven.
ROFFEY: 1 Montgomery WATSON-PRICE; Jack BILBRUCK; Luke HARRISON; Dylan PAUW; Jamie BUCHANAN; 6 Daniel PAPPOE; 17 Bailey MOYO (16 Tom TOLFREY, 33′); Jack POPLETT; 8 Joshua NEATHEY; Jahombi MAHER; 21 Max MESQUITA. Subs: Andy BATTERIE; 24 Stan BERRY; Sami ZAGDOUNI.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 2 Niall HAINSWORTH; 8 Matt LOARING (14 Simon ARNOLD, 90+3′); 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE (22 Fin PATTERSON, 67′); 16 Gil HUNTER; 17 Callum LE LACHEUR (20 George GOUBERT, 77′); 18 Dave MERRIS; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 21 Jacques CAUVIN (4 Tom DODDS 58′). Not used: Alfie TORODE.
Attendance: 104.
