| EASTBOURNE UNITED | 3 | – | 0 | GUERNSEY |
| Ball 61′, 72′ Wilson 90+7′ |
Guernsey’s bid to reel in the top two suffered a setback at Eastbourne United on Saturday afternoon in a complete reversal of the return fixture.
After an even first half and good openings in the second, things went wrong for the Green Lions after an hour and they were unable to recover.
Tony Vance’s side made a bright start and came close twice around the quarter-hour mark. First, Sam Murray’s close range header hit the bar after a corner had led to a scramble, then Will Fazakerley hooked towards goal from the angle but Alieu Secko held it at his near post.
Ben Solway was picked out by a lovely crossfield ball from Fin du Port but lifted his first-time effort well over the top, while Ross Allen hit a well-struck free-kick straight down the throat of Secka.
The Whites’ best chance came through Mason Creese right at the end of the half but his effort was saved by Josh Addison, who had also denied Charlie Ball a few minutes earlier.
Fazakerley thought he had broken the deadlock early into the second half but a defender was there to clear it off the line.
That proved key as Eastbourne took the lead 10 minutes later, with Ball capitalising on a mix-up in the away defence to power home.
The second came just six minutes later. Creese did brilliantly to lay the ball off to Joe Overy, whose shot was parried but Ball was alert to hammer a shot high into the roof of the net.
Addison made two more good saves to deny James Hull and substitute T’yano Wilson, but the latter put the icing on the cake deep into injury time as he broke through the defence and found the back of the net to condemn Guernsey to their eighth defeat of the season.
Guernsey have dropped to fourth in the Southern Combination Premier Division as a result of Horsham YM’s victory against Lancing (but we have a game in hand), and lost ground on Haywards Heath Town and Steyning Town due to both sides picking up three points. Saturday’s full set of results is as follows: Bexhill United 1-1 Shoreham, Crawley Down Gatwick 3-0 Peacehaven & Telscombe, Forest Row 1-6 Seaford Town, Haywards Heath Town 2-1 Pagham, Horsham YM 1-0 Lancing, Midhurst & Easebourne 1-2 Steyning Town, Wick 2-0 Roffey, AFC Varndeanians 3-0 Little Common.
EASTBOURNE UNITED: 1 Alieu SECKA; 4 Jack FREEMAN 5 Jordan RAY; 6 Brett PATTON; 8 Rhyle OVENDEN (c); 9 James HULL; 10 Charlie BALL (7 T’yano WILSON, 75′); 11 Joe OVERY (3 Anthony THOMAS, 78′); 12 Jake PRODGER; 15 Alfie GANDER; 18 Mason CREESE. Not used: 20 Mufaro HUCHU; 14 Charlie PURVIS; 19 Teddy BALDWIN.
Booked: Hull, Freeman.
GUERNSEY: 1 Josh ADDISON; 2 Niall HAINSWORTH (4 Tom DODDS, 69′); 9 Sam MURRAY; 10 Ross ALLEN (c); 11 Brandon WALLACE (8 Matt LOARING, 64′); 12 Fin DU PORT; 15 Ben SOLWAY; 19 Will FAZAKERLEY; 21 Jacques CAUVIN; 22 Fin PATTERSON (20 George GOUBERT, 56′); 24 Jacob FALLAIZE. Not used: 5 Tom VAUDIN; 14 Simon ARNOLD.
Attendance: 342.
