Sutton Common Rovers 0-2 Guernsey
Jackson 11′; Allen 12′.
Guernsey earned their first victory of 2022, their first away win of the season and a huge three points at Imperial Fields on Sunday to leapfrog opponents Sutton Common Rovers.
The Green Lions were excellent value for the win, pouncing on two errors in the space of a minute to put themselves in the driving seat early on and, aside from a nervy 15-20 minute spell after half time when the hosts laid siege to their penalty area, were well in control of their destiny.
There was the added bonus of seeing the return of Seb Skillen and Tom Martin for the first time in quite a few weeks, and Will Fazakerley making his first appearance since the recurrence of a long-term shoulder injury. There was also a solid debut from Lucas Hanley, the former Herne Bay goalkeeper with Guernsey connections, signed to replace the suddenly-departing Callum Stanton just a couple of days ago.
Guernsey started well and couldn’t believe their luck as they raced into a 2-0 inside a quarter of an hour.
For the first, Ross Allen chased down a backpass towards Rovers keeper Filip Chalupniczak, forcing a scrambled clearance that was collected on the right by Loaring. He slipped the ball inside into the path of Tom Jackson bursting forward. The midfielder spotted Chalupniczak completely stranded in no-man’s land and went for the early lob outside the area. Probably helped a little by the wind, it flew over the keeper and dipped just in time, kissing the crossbar on its way in to give the midfielder his first goal for the club.
Within a minute it was two as Loaring closed down the Sutton Common centre-backs straight from kick-off and tried to run the ball round Chalupniczak, but lost his footing. He managed to help it on for Allen instead, who also slipped, but was still able to stick out a leg and hook the ball over the goalkeeper and in.
Hanley passed his first test 20 minutes in, sliding out at the feet of Jephte Tanga to smother a shot after Martin had tried one turn too many in his area.
Ben Acey set the Green Lions on their way to another chance as he slipped Allen in down the left. Allen’s cross was poor but the clearance was equally as sloppy, allowing Kieran Mahon to strike at goal but Chalupniczak got down to his right to make a smart stop.
Sutton Common blew another big chance on the half-hour as Yao Aziamale scuffed wide in the middle of the area, failing to capitalise after Martin had gifted the ball back and it was worked across the area.
Allen caused panic again by charging down Chalupniczak, actually blocking the clearance but the ball drifted the wrong side of the post.
The poor surface was making it difficult for either side to string moves together and was unsteady underfoot, but Guernsey were thanking the conditions on 38 minutes when Will Efambe slipped at the vital moment as the ball landed at his feet in the area, then Aziamale lifted well over the top after Jackson had been dispossessed down the hosts’ left.
Tony Vance would have felt his side should have been three up at the break. First, Acey’s inch perfect ball put Gauvain through on goal. He had the opportunity to shoot on his left but opted to try and cut back inside and was crowded out. He was able to slip the ball to Allen to his left but the number 10 could only find the side netting from the angle.
Two minutes later, Marsh dove down the right and threaded the ball down the line for Gauvain. He played it in early for the run of Acey but a brilliant intervention from Mohammed Dabo sent the shot spinning just wide.
The home side must have had quite the ticking off at the break as they started strongly and forced a few errors in the Guernsey back line. Anh-War Tran-West had a swipe at the ball during a scramble but a deflection sent it looping just over the bar.
Hanley was in the right place as a header was flicked towards him less than six yards out as a cross came into the box, and knew little about it as the ball hit him and was cleared away. Aziamale then cleared the bar comfortably from outside the area before sending a header looping over the top on 56 minutes.
It took until past the hour before the visitors had an effort on goal in the second half, but Allen got underneath it to lift it well over after good work driving forward by substitute Glenn Le Tissier. Jacob Fallaize then rose highest to meet a Dave Rihoy corner but couldn’t get enough on it to send it on target.
But by now Guernsey had weathered that earlier storm and had much more control on the game. Jackson thought he had another on 72 minutes as he flicked Guavain’s free-kick from the right towards goal, but Chalupniczak held it.
Kieran Mahon almost picked out the top corner on 77 minutes with the sweetest of strikes from 30 yards but the ball flew just the wrong side of the right-hand post.
Fallaize thought he had his second goal of the season with just over six minutes left as he leapt for a corner and powered a header towards goal, but a brilliant goalline clearance kept it out.
Allen’s superb footwork saw him jink past three challenges in the last minute and he opted to shoot from the angle. Chalupniczak spilled it at his near post and Mahon seized onto it only to see his effort hit a defender and spin away.
Guernsey saw the game out comfortably for what could be one of their most important wins of the season as they moved up to 16th in Isthmian South Central.
The rest of the weekend’s results were as follows: Ashford Town 1-2 Uxbridge, Bedfont Sports 1-0 Westfield, Bracknell Town 0-1 Chertsey Town, Chalfont St Peter 0-4 Thatcham Town, Chipstead 1-2 Baskingstoke Town, Hanwell Town 1-1 Marlow, Northwood 2-2 Tooting & Mitcham United, South Park 2-2 Binfield.
Sutton Common Rovers: 1 Filip Chalupniczak; 2 Mohammed Dabo; 3 Matthew Tanton; 4 Shawn Lyle; 5 Germaine Dua; 6 Jake Hill; 7 Will Efambe (16 Prince Adeyemi, 60’) ; 8 Perri Iandolo; 9 Yao Aziamale (15 Ezekial Bademosi, 81’); 10 Anh-War Tran-West (14 Ryan Dacres-Smith, ’74); 11 Jephte Tanga. Not used: 12 Tristan Noel; 21 Callum Thompson.
Booked: Dacres-Smith.
Guernsey: 1 Lucas Hanley; 2 Keanu Marsh; 3 Tom Martin; 4 Tom Jackson (12 Seb Skillen, 90’); 5 Jacob Fallaize; 6 Kieran Mahon; 7 Charlton Gauvain (14 Will Fazakerley 78’); 8 Ben Acey (15 Glenn Le Tissier, 62’); 9 Matt Loaring; 10 Ross Allen; 11 Dave Rihoy. Not used: 13 Jordan Kelly.
Booked: Marsh, Fazakerley.
Attendance: 140.
Highlights will be available on GFCTV soon.
