| AFC VARNDEANIANS | 1 | – | 0 | GUERNSEY |
| Eckworth-Jones 79′ |
Guernsey paid for not taking their chances earlier in the game as the fell to a narrow defeat at AFC Varndeanians.
The Green Lions were short of key men again but will feel they should have been in control before Aiden Eckworth-Jones’s opportunistic strike with little over 10 minutes remaining. Ross Allen’s missed penalty proved decisive as it could have opened the game up early on.
This is a much improved Vs side from last season and they find themselves in the early running, while Tony Vance’s side have some ground to make up.
Will Fazakerley had already had a shot blocked in a bright start before clever footwork from Dylan Graham drew a clumsy trip in the area. Allen’s effort wasn’t bad, but was a nice height for goalkeeper Louie Sullivan, who dived full stretch to his left to push it away.
Allen glanced a header wide and a crucial block from Belal Ouachan prevented Fazakerley from finding the opener, while Fin Patterson couldn’t quite connect with the lively Graham’s low cross after a great ball forward by Jacques Cauvin.
Fazakerley nearly pulled off the spectacular as he took a long ball on his chest and shot wickedly on the turn, and wasn’t far off target. He also had a penalty shout waved away before half time as he went down under pressure in the box.
It took until nearly half-time for the hosts to force Seb Sheppard into action, but the Guernsey stopper was equal to it has Vs broke down the left.
Allen tested Sullivan again with an volley early in the second half before Sheppard bailed his team out of a defensive lapse with another good save. With around 20 minutes left, he made another fine save, this time to deny Morris Dench.
Jacques Cauvin’s long throw caused problems as the game entered its final quarter hour, setting up Graham for a header that Sullivan was forced to tip over his own crossbar.
Then game hit its decisive moment as some head tennis around the Guernsey area fell kindly for Eckworth-Jones to stab home from close range.
The Lions pushed for a leveller later on but couldn’t force a point. It was a fourth straight defeat in all competitions and leaves Tony Vance’s side winless in five, but there is plenty of time to make up the ground and when some key players return, we are sure to see an upturn in form.
The results leaves GFC 12th in the Southern Combination Premier Division. Saturday’s other results were as follows: Billingshurst 0-3 Wick, Crawley Down Gatwick 1-5 Bexhill United, Eastbourne United 0-2 East Grinstead Town, Lancing 0-3 Roffey, Lingfield 4-1 Seaford Town, Newhaven 2-1 Forest Row, Little Common 0-0 Horsham YM.
AFC VARNDEANIANS: 1 Louie SULLIVAN; 2 Owen BENFELL; 3 Oscar BAILEY; 4 Sam ROGERS; 5 Omar BUKLEB (c); 6 Belal OUACHAN; 7 Harry BURGESS; 8 Alfie LOVERIDGE; 9 Fraser MIDDLETON; 10 Morris DENCH; 11 Kian NANDHRA. Subs: 12 Aiden ECKWORTH-JONES; 14 Rabbit KINKENE; 15 Thomas JUPP; 17 Marley BIGG.
GUERNSEY: 13 Seb SHEPPARD; 3 Jamie DODD (24 Jacob FALLAIZE, 55′); 6 Seb VANCE; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE (12 Alfie TORODE, 68′); 14 Simon ARNOLD (4 Tom DODDS, 72′); 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 21 Jacques CAUVIN; 22 Fin PATTERSON; 23 Archie DRILLOT; 25 Dylan GRAHAM. Not used: GK Jordan KELLY; 15 Riley TYRRELL.
Booked: Cauvin, Graham.
Attendance: 52.
