| LITTLE COMMON | 4 | – | 2 | GUERNSEY |
| Eldridge (pen) 10′ Ward 29′ Martin 42′ Ellis 86′ | Arnold 4′ Hainsworth 76′ |
Guernsey’s winning start to the season was ended in tough conditions at Little Common on Saturday.
It one of those afternoons when things just went wrong from the get-go, with Dave Merris’ early red card seeing a swing of momentum and left the Green Lions to play almost the whole match a man down.
There was also a strong wind acting as a bit of a leveller and GFC were again short in ideal preparation as their coach breaking down earlier in the day meant they arrived late and had little warm up time.
Perhaps losing so many players in one go proved to be a little too much as Tony Vance’s side were missing key players down the spine of the team, with Ross Allen, Charlton Gauvain, Matt Loaring and Jacob Fallaize all missing through injury or unavailability.
Despite this, and the man disadvantage, the Green Lions gave it a right good go in the second half and were only seen off late on when the gaps starting opening up in the 10 men’s push for an impressive comeback.
To be fair to their hosts, Little Common put in a strong performance, widely viewed as their best so far this season, and scored some excellent goals.
It couldn’t have been a much better start as Simon Arnold’s first goal of the season earned the lead inside four minutes. He was picked out by Callum Le Lacheur, controlled with his thigh and lashed the ball past Matt Cruttwell.
But GFC were pegged back inside 10 minutes in a moment of double jeopardy for the visitors that would ultimately cost them. Merris slipped at the near post as Lewis Hole got a shot off and the ball struck his hand as it was headed for goal. Merris was given his marching orders and Russell Eldridge levelled the score from the penalty spot.
That forced an early reshuffle, with Arnold the unfortunate man to lose out as he was sacrificed for Jamie Dodd to come on and rebolster the defence. But the Sarnians would now be playing 80 minutes with a man disadvantage.
Le Lacheur could have put his side back in front soon after as he was put through one on one, but was denied by Cruttwell.
It was a moment of brilliant that earned the Commoners the lead shortly before the half hour, as Liam Ward’s volley from the edge of the box rocketed in past Josh Addison, who had no chance.
Brandon Wallace teed up Sam Murray to fire over the bar, but shortly before the break it was 3-1 as the hosts went route one, with Reuben Martin finishing after a long ball over the top.
Two goals and a man down would normally have signalled game over, but Guernsey went for it in the second half and were unlucky not to at least level it up – you would have thought the numerical advantage was the other way around.
Le Lacheur was bested by Cruttwell again in another one-on-one and forced another save from the home keeper, before Will Fazakerley was picked out by substitute Niall Hainsworth only to see his effort cleared off the line.
The Green Lions were deservedly back in it with 15 minutes after a sustained spell of pressure left as Hainsworth took one touch on the edge of the area and picked out the bottom corner for his second goal for the club.
Fin Patterson was thrown on as Vance opted to throw all his attacking options on the pitch and the teenager almost made an instant impact but Cruttwell was in the way again, not long before he made another great stop to keep out Fazakerley.
But the Sarnians not taking any of those good chances proved crucial as Little Common sealed the points with five minutes left, with Sam Ellis’ long-range effort catching Addison off guard to make it 4-2.
The visitors’ misery was compounded late on as, when protesting a very soft booking for Dodd, Fazakerley became the first Guernsey player to be sinbinned.
Tony Vance felt afterwards that after such a bright start to the season, this could prove to be a useful wake-up call and reality check that the league won’t be a complete walkover and there are teams ready to capitalise if the lads aren’t on top of their game.
Guernsey drop to eighth in the Southern Combination Premier Division but have games in hand over several teams above. Saturday’s other results were as follows: AFC Varndeanians 0-3 Horsham YM, Crawley Down Gatwick 2-3 Haywards Heath Town, Midhurst & Easebourne 0-1 Newhaven, Peacehaven & Telscombe 2-1 Pagham, Roffey 2-1 Shoreham, Wick 2-3 Eastbourne United.
LITTLE COMMON: 1 Matt CRUTTWELL; 2 Cam THOMPSON; 3 Josh ELLIOTT NOYE; 4 Liam WARD; 5 James WHITE; 6 Russell ELDRIDGE; 7 Reuben MARTIN; 8 Paul FEAKINS; 9 Lewis HOLE; 10 Lewis UNWIN; 11 Sam ELLIS. Subs: 12 Jack TOMS; 14 Kenny POGUE; 15 Toby BRETT.
Booked: Eldridge, Hole.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 4 Tom DODDS (2 Niall HAINSWORTH, 62′); 5 Tom VAUDIN; 6 Seb VANCE (22 Fin PATTERSON, 78′); 9 Sam MURRAY; 11 Brandon WALLACE (23 Frazer MAGINNIS, 66′); 12 Fin DU PORT (16 Zach GILMAN, 70′); 14 Simon ARNOLD (3 Jamie DODD, 17′); 17 Callum LE LACHEUR; 18 Dave MERRIS; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY.
Booked: Dodd. Sent off: Merris. Sinbinned: Fazakerley.
Attendance: 152.
