Guernsey                     0
Ashford Town           1 (Burnham 90+3’)

Guernsey had a point snatched away from them in the dying moments at Footes Lane as Dale Burnham’s last-gasp strike earned a win for Ashford Town on Saturday.

Ashford will feel they just about deserved it having looked more consistently threatening throughout the 90, but it was a real kick in the teeth for the Green Lions, who had a few good chances themselves, especially in the first half.

Just two goals from seven matches is something Tony Vance’s sides need to address if they want to pull away from the relegation places.

Ashford had the first sight of goal as captain Chad Goulter met a corner but flicked his header against the crossbar.

A quartet of chances fell Guernsey’s way in quick succession almost instantly. Danny Hale eventually got the ball out of his feet but his shot was blocked, with the same fate befalling Tom Vaudin’s follow-up, and the visitors scrambled the ball out for a throw. Keanu Marsh slung it into the box and the ball eventually dropped to Hale six yards out, but Callum Coulter reacted well to turn it wide. From the resulting corner, Jacob Fallaize rose highest but his downward header bounced just wide.

On the quarter-hour mark, Jason Martin stuck out an arm to tip over Pemi Yakubu’s free-kick. Martin then breathed a sigh of relief as his miskick rolled straight to Yakubu, but the forward couldn’t make the most of the gift as he lifted his shot too high.

Clyde Ikpo Ondo thought he had given Ashford the lead from close range after the hosts failed to clear their lines, but the offside flag was up before the ball had even hit the back of the net.

Fallaize caused problems in the air again on 36 minutes as he met Joe Alvarez’s wicked inswinger, but his header clipped off the top of the bar. Moments later, captain Jamie Dodd met a corner at the near post but his header flashed wide of the far post.

As the half ticked towards added time, Goulter got his header to another corner, but his effort looped over.

Three minutes into the second half, an inswinging corner from Ashford almost crept in at Martin’s near post, but he got a hand to it in the nick of time. Moments later, Ondo headed over from a corner, with Yakubu doing the same from a cross on 52 minutes.

A good chance fell to Alvarez on 55 minutes as Fallaize headed Hale’s corner into his path, but the left-back got under is and drove over. At the other end, Martin stood strong to beat away as Danyall Iqbal cut in from the left and let fly.

Goulter headed over again and it looked like the game might peter out in into a 0-0 draw, but there was a shock on its way as the game ticked into five minutes of injury time.

It came out of the blue as a ball was played forward into the left channel and substitute Burnham ran round the back. Martin came out to narrow the angle but the forward squeezed it past him to spark delirium from the away side.

There was still time for more drama as Guernsey nearly snatched an instant equaliser. The ball pinged around the Ashford penalty area at a corner. The ball found its way to Tom Dodds, who got plenty behind his rising drive but Coulter beat it away, and the points were Ashford’s.

Guernsey remain 19th in Isthmian South Central with an important bottom-two clash with Merstham to come on Monday. Saturday’s other results as follows: Basingstoke Town 3-0 Chipstead, Marlow 0-1 Chertsey Town, Northwood 3-2 Merstham, South Park 1-0 Sutton Common Rovers, Southall 2-2 Thatcham Town.

Guernsey: 1 Jason Martin; 2 Keanu Marsh (14 Paris Pereira, 84’); 3 Jamie Dodd (c); 4 Tom Dodds; 5 Jacob Fallaize; 6 Tom Vaudin; 7 Matt Loaring; 8 Liam Mahon; 9 Will Fazakerley; 10 Danny Hale; 11 Joe Alvarez (12 Dave Merris, 75’). Not used: 13 Josh Addison; 15 Glenn Le Tissier.

Booked: Marsh, Fallaize, Fazakerley.

Ashford Town: 1 Callum Coulter; 2 Benjamin Peden; 3 Isy Nzelo (16 Daniel Brown, 77’) ; 4 Chad Goulter (c); 5 Matthew Kellet-Smith; 6 Clyde Ikpo Ondo; 7 Danyaal Iqbal; 8 Prince Mbengui; 9 Luke Maguire; 10 Ikpemwinoghena Yakubu (14 Abou Nash Doukoure, 88’); 11 Nathaniel Kenlock (15 Dale Burnham, 73’). Not used: 12 Razy Nadeem.

Booked: Nzelo, Maguire, Peden, Goulter.

Attendance: 644. 

Highlights will be uploaded to GFCTV over the weekend.