Tooting & Mitcham 1 (Daly 79′)
Guernsey 0
Guernsey were edged out late by Tooting & Mitcham United in a relegation six-pointer on Boxing Day.
The Green Lions were given the gift of Ben Acey returning on loan from Bristol City for a few weeks, but even his welcome appearance couldn’t inspire a goal for the Green Lions, who were once again going into battle with a threadbare squad.
Danny Hale had already hit a free-kick harmlessly over the top, but then dragged wide from range after bursting forward just after the quarter-hour mark thanks to a neat touch from Keene Domaille, while Jason Martin reacted brilliantly to claw away as Anuar Ceesay flicked a header towards goal from inside the six-yard box.
Declan Nche left Martin helpless as he took aim having received a short free-kick, but it whistled just over the top.
Kareem Akinnibi also had Martin scrambling to his right in the second half as he struck from outside the area, but the Guernsey stopper saw it safely wide.
It took four attempt for the Terrors to get their winner with just over 10 minutes left. Nikolai Krokhin met a corner at the far post and hooked back towards goal. Martin pushed it away but only as far as Ed Mbango who had two bites at it and eventually shot again the top of the post. It fell kindly for Nathan Daly in the six yard box, who saw his first effort blocked by George McNeela, but the luck was with the South Londoners as the rebound dropped back to Daly to stroke into the net.
Guernsey had to go for it now. Liam Mahon lifted an effort well over and Jamie Dodd sliced wide following a goalmouth scramble, but the Green Lions couldn’t get the all-important breakthrough and their relegation battle gets ever tougher. Reinforcements are needed back soon.
The other Isthmian South Central Boxing Day results were as follows: Bedfont Sports 2-2 Ashford Town, Hanworth Villa 0-4 Chertsey Town, South Park 1-1 Merstham, Southall 1-2 Northwood, Thatcham Town 2-0 Uxbridge, Walton & Hersham 0-2 Leatherhead.
Tooting & Mitcham United: 1 James Shaw; 2 Anuar Ceesay; 3 Harvey Browne (16 Shamal Edwards, 62’); 4 Marcus Travers; 5 Nathan Daly; 6 Nikolai Krokhin; 7 Declan Nche; 8 Jaiden Chang; 9 Ed Mbango; 10 Kareem Akinnibi (17 Enoch Eko-Adjei, 82’); 11 Jordan Clarke (12 Raees Bangura-Williams, 82’). Not used: 14 Jake Rose; 15 Pedro Moco.
Booked: Browne, Akinnibi, Clarke.
Guernsey: 1 Jason Martin; 2 Keanu Marsh; 3 Jamie Dodd (c); 4 Tom Dodds; 5 Tom Vaudin; 6 George McNeela; 7 Ben Acey; 8 Liam Mahon; 9 Keene Domaille; 10 Danny Hale; 11 Brandon Wallace. Not used: 12 Jacques Cauvin; 13 Josh Addison.
Highlights are available on GFCTV now.
