GUERNSEY         2 (Gauvain 74’, pen 81’)
BADSHOT LEA   2 (Akinnibi 78’, pen 90+10’)

Guernsey had all three points snatched away from the penalty spot with virtually the last kick of the game at Footes Lane on Sunday afternoon in a game that sparked into life in the final quarter.

It looked like Charlton Gauvain had given his side the win from a penalty of his own after his opener had been cancelled out. But in a game of late goals, the latest of all came from Badshot Lea, with new signing Kareem Akinnibi getting the leveller in the 10th minute of injury time to ensure the Baggies remain unbeaten in four visits to the Channel Islands.

It stretches the Green Lions’ unbeaten run to three games and moves them up a place in Isthmian South Central but it feels like two points thrown away in the fight for survival in a result that didn't do either side much good.

Apart from a blistering start from the Sarnians that they couldn’t take advantage of, the game was lacking in spark from both sides until the late drama, with all four goals coming in the final quarter of the game.

Sam Murray fired over off balance inside three minutes after Simon Arnold won the ball back in a dangerous area, and then the hosts were unlucky not to take the lead as Ross Allen sprayed a lovely ball out to the right wing for the run of Jacques Cauvin. Matt Loaring had run full throttle to get into the area and meet the low cross but his effort hit the top of the near post.

It took until around the half-hour mark for any further action of note, with Tom Dodds staying forward and winning the ball on the right. His pullback was missed by Loaring but not Gauvain, who fired straight at goalkeeper Harry Cawdron. Guernsey’s number seven then did well to evade three challenges coming in from the left wing, but his curler lacked power and was saved.

The second half had a couple of earlier moments but very little until the late stages.

Badshot captain Joe Lewis could only poke at Josh Addison from point-blank range after Akinnibi had worked an opening from the left, and some brilliant last-ditch defending in the box prevented George Winkworth finishing from close range as the visitors went on the counter attack.

Brandon Wallace replaced Fin Patterson on 72 minutes and made an instant impact, providing the opener for Gauvain with a inviting clipped cross towards the near post which just required the playmaker to time his run and help it beyond Cawdron. Jacob Fallaize had begun the move with a key interception on the halfway line and lovely sweep out to the left wing.

But the lead only lasted four minutes as Ibrahim Busari’s low cross was deflected kindly into Akinnibi in the six-yard box. The Badshot number 10 was facing away from goal but backheeled past Addison for the equaliser.

But there was another reprieve for Guernsey as Murray was clumsily barged over by Cawdron as he chased Gauvain’s high ball down the left channel into the area. Ross Allen opted to relinquish penalty duties Gauvain, who made no mistake as he sent Cawrdon the wrong way, bagging a brace for the first time in his GFC career.

The Green Lions got lucky once in injury time as Baback Dehghani curled towards goal but, with Addison beaten, the ball bounced mercifully off the crossbar. It looked like the Sarnians were going to see this one out despite a late onslaught of balls forward from the visitors...

The game had already ticked past the nine minutes added on by the referee when Fallaize gave him a decision to make as he initiated contact with Akinnibi in the area, who promptly hit the deck. Callum Parke pointed to the spot and while Addison went the right way and was very close to keeping it out, Akinnibi’s low effort squeezed past him into the bottom corner. The kick-off was the last touch before the final whistle went - making it another frustrating afternoon for Guernsey.

To add to their woes, two more players have been added to the injury list. Despite bravely continuing, Addison is set to miss a few weeks with an injury sustained in the first half, while Loaring’s season looks to be over after an accidental clash of heads which has left him with a fractured eye socket and cheek bone. He is due for surgery in Southampton and we wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.

The Green Lions move up a place in Isthmian South Central on goal difference and still have games in hand on the teams about them. Only three other games beat the weather in the UK this weekend: Ashford Town 1-2 Ascot United, Moneyfields 5-0 Binfield, Rayners Lane 1-2 Kingstonian.

GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 4 Tom DODDS; 7 Charlton GAUVAIN; 8 Matt LOARING (12 Fin DU PORT, 53’); 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c) (20 Alex WARD, 90+4’); 14 Simon ARNOLD (11 Owen WALLBRIDGE, 86’) ; 18 Dave MERRIS; 21 Jacques CAUVIN (2 Niall HAINSWORTH, 83’); 22 Fin PATTERSON (17 Brandon WALLACE, 72’).

Booked: Gauvain, Merris.

BADSHOT LEA: 1 Harry CAWDRON; 2 Taro CHITEPO; 3 Ibrahim BUSARI; 4 Eden DOWNES (16 Baback DEHGHANI, 75’); 5 Joseph THROP (18 David HAMIGA, 85’); 6 George WINKWORTH; 7 Jaheim KAMARA (12 Samuel YABANI, 84’); 8 David GARLINGE (15 Aitor ANDON, 85’); 9 Finlay EVANS (15 Charlie GEORGE, 71’); 10 Kareem AKINNIBI; 11 Joe LEWIS (c).

Booked: Cawdron, Chitepo, Winkworth, Kamara, Andon.

Attendance: 599. 

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