Guernsey FC
Guernsey FC
1 - 1
Godalming Town
Godalming Town

Competition

League - Isthmian League Division One South

Attendance

621

It was definitely a case of two points dropped as Guernsey were held at home by the league's bottom side at Footes Lane on Sunday despite controlling the majority of the match and creating a host of good chances.

The big positive of the afternoon was Kyle Smith netting his first goal for the club with a neat finish in first-half stoppage-time, but the game was overshadowed by a serious injury to Chris Tardif.

A horrible crack could be heard all the way in the Garenne Stand as Tardif went in bravely to prevent an opportunity for Godalming's Ashley Quashie. He was soon stretchered off and taken to hospital in an ambulance, with it later being confirmed that he has broken his tibia and fibula and is to have set to have surgery on Monday to realign his his right leg. He will almost certainly miss the rest of the season.

As for the match, the Green Lions failed to take advantage of a number of good opportunities in the first half but still deservedly led through Smith's maiden strike.

They should have been well out of sight by the time Gs striker Jack Mazzone stunned Footes Lane by trying his luck from way out and finding the far corner over the reach of substitute goalkeeper Jordan Kelly.

The result is a disappointing start to a run of four straight matches at Footes Lane and leaves us in 21st place. Godalming will be delighted with the point against all the odds, with just a squad of 13 making the trip due to a few players allegedly not reporting for duty at Gatwick Airport in the morning.

Tony Vance later bemoaned his side's lack of ruthlessness in front of goal that ultimately cost them two points.

It took a few minutes for the hosts to get into their stride as Tardif comfortably held Mazzone's effort from distance in the third minute. But after that it was all about the Sarnians, whose dominance should have been reflected by a far bigger scoreline at the break.

Dave Rihoy was the first to have a go in the seventh minute after being put through on the left-hand side of the area but the bouncing ball was on the rise as he hit it and it flew over.

Smith was put through on goal just a minute later but couldn't get the ball out from under his feet and Durrell Brown did just enough to put him off balance as he went to strike it and the ball was scuffed wide.

Sixteen minutes were on the clock when Ross Allen was tripped on the edge of the area, Ryan-Zico Black cut the free-kick back to the number 10, who hit a powerful curler towards goal, but Gs stopper Oneal Garnes stretched enough to tip it over.

Allen was involved in another good chance just after the midway point in the half has he crossed from the left wing. Dom Heaume rose at the far post to nod it down to the edge of the six-yard box. Rihoy got there first but smashed it over the bar.

The chances were mounting up as Loaring hit one not too far over just after the half-hour mark, and the lack of a clinical edge was starting to become a worry as half-time approached.

Then came the real low point of the game with Tardif's injury when he came out to prevent Quashie getting a shot away as the ball was delivered into the area. There was a delay of several minutes before GFC's number one was taken off on a stretcher and then to hospital. He was replaced by Kelly for the 17-year-old's home debut.

Tony Vance's men did not let the incident cloud their focus through and continued to create chances. A scramble in the away box was not capitalised on as Black's shot was deflected onto the post, possibly by Dom Heaume. Allen smashed the ball back across goal to keep the danger alive but Smith couldn't get enough on it at the far post.

Rihoy was then guilty of missing the best of the lot when played in by a brilliant Allen cross from the right. He turned six yards out right in front of goal but somehow dragged it well wide.

Luckily the Green Lions did not live to regret it long as they finally took the lead they should have had much earlier, a couple of minutes into first-half injury time. He received the ball on the left corner of the area from another excellent delivery. His skill got him away from his man and his neat low finish found the bottom corner at the near post.

It looked like it would be more of the same after the break as the hosts came within a whisker of doubling their lead within a minute of kick-off. Black's corner was pulled back to Allen near the edge of the box and effort struck the crossbar and bounced down almost onto the line. The ball was recycled but Heaume couldn't make a clean connection on his attempted bicycle kick. Allen then stretched to meet Smith's left-wing cross at the near post but put it wide.

Smith and Thomas Dodds were both unsuccessful from distance before the hour and then Kelly was called into action for the first time. He had been a spectator up to this point but was alert to dive left and push wide Jake Kempton's header from Matthew Males' right-wing delivery.

Guernsey had survived their first real scare of the afternoon but it was still a total shock when Godalming got level very much against the run of play on 62 minutes. Mazzone was a few yards outside the penalty area on the left side when he picked up the ball. He looked up and spotted a big enough gap in the far corner to have a go. His shot dipped just at the right time and Kelly could not stretch enough to get a touch. Out of nowhere it was 1-1.

Suddenly GFC were looking a little ragged and the defence failed to pick up Rory Sellick as he met a cross from the left, but Kelly blocked at his near post.

Having had so many chances to be well out of sight, the Green Lions' attacking threat was starting to peter out in the final quarter of the game and only managed to muster four more meaningful efforts in the final 20 minutes. Smith met Allen's cross but dragged his near-post effort into the side netting before Heaume headed over Allen's corner five minutes later.

Rihoy was presented with another good chances as Josh Steel's searching ball into the area was headed down by Heaume. Rihoy was well placed in the area but scuffed his shot wide.

Smith tried his luck again with just over five minutes remaining as he scooped towards goal from the edge of the box but his shot from the edge was held by Garnes.

But GFC weren't able to create anything further and were left rueing their extensive catalogue of missed opportunities.

Everyone involved with Guernsey FC would like to thank fans for their get well messages for Chris Tardif and we hope his operation and recovery goes well. We hope to see him back in a GFC shirt soon.

The rest of the weekend's Ryman South results were as follows: Carshalton Athletic 1-1 Ramsgate, Chatham Town 1-4 Corinthian-Casuals, East Grinstead Town 1-1 Walton Casuals, Faversham Town 1-2 Dorking Wanderers, Greenwich Borough 4-2 Three Bridges, Herne Bay 3-0 Chipstead, Hythe Town 1-0 Molesey, Lewes 5-2 Cray Wanderers, Sittingbourne 1-3 Tooting & Mitcham United, South Park 1-3 Horsham, Whyteleafe 0-4 Hastings United.

Guernsey: Chris Tardif (c) (Jordan Kelly 41'), Jack Domaille, Matt Loaring (Marc McGrath 64'), Josh Steel, Alex Le Prevost, Thomas Dodds, Dave Rihoy, Ryan-Zico Black (Jacob Fallaize 83'), Dom Heaume, Ross Allen, Kyle Smith.

Goal: Smith 45+2'.

Godalming Town: Oneal Garnes, Chris Wales (c), Nick Hutchings, Chris Musgrove, Durrell Brown (Christopher Atkins 51'), Matthew Males, Rory Sellick, Ryan Zidyana, Jack Mazzone, Jack Kempton, Ashley Quashie (Goncalves Christiano 60').

Goal: Mazzone 62'.

APPEARANCES
Shirt Player Yellow Cards Red Cards Goals
1 Chris Tardif (Jordan Kelly 41') - - -
2 Jack Domaille - - -
3 Matt Loaring (Marc McGrath 64') - - -
4 Josh Steel - - -
5 Alex Le Prevost - - -
6 Tom Dodds - - -
7 Dave Rihoy - - -
8 Ryan-Zico Black (Jacob Fallaize 83') - - -
9 Dominic Heaume - - -
10 Ross Allen - - -
11 Kyle Smith - - 1
Substitutes
1 Jordan Kelly - - -
2 Marc McGrath - - -
3 Jacob Fallaize - - -