Guernsey FC secured their spot in the Southern Combination Premier Division play-offs with an impressive 8-1 victory over Forest Row at Victoria Park.
Will Fazakerley opened the scoring in the 35th minute, taking advantage of a rebound after Fin Patterson’s shot was saved, giving the Green Lions a lead in an otherwise evenly matched first half.
In first-half stoppage time, Sam Murray extended his season tally to 32 goals, converting a controlled long ball to ensure Guernsey went into the break with a 2-0 advantage.
Forest Row managed to pull one back six minutes into the second half, with Matty Feeney-Hill scoring following a well-executed build-up.
However, Guernsey quickly regained control, as Callum Le Lacheur’s floated cross found its way into the net after deflecting off Forest Row defender Jaiden Chang just four minutes later. Ross Allen, coming off the bench, then made it 4-1 after finishing neatly in the 64th minute, following an assist from Fazakerley. Tom Vaudin added another from a corner kick, pushing the score to 5-1 with 19 minutes left on the clock.
Ben Solway further widened the gap to 6-1 with a strike from the right flank six minutes before the end. Matt Loaring, returning from nearly a year-long injury absence, scored his first goal to bring the tally to 7-1. Simon Arnold capped off the emphatic win in stoppage time, marking Guernsey’s second match this season with eight goals, having previously beaten Roffey 8-0 in November.
This victory solidifies Guernsey’s third-place position in the division, with sixth-place Eastbourne United now unable to catch them. Finishing in third guarantees them a home play-off semi-final as they strive to return to the ninth tier of English football after last season’s relegation.
“In the first half, we really had to dig deep. They put up a strong fight,” said Guernsey manager Toyn Vance in an interview with BBC Radio Guernsey. “We made several changes to the team today to adopt a more dynamic and high-tempo approach, but the opposition kept up with us, and we were fortunate to be ahead 2-0; we were clinical with our chances. I believed that in the second half we could wear them down, and by the end, they seemed exhausted. The performance in the second half was impressive. We could have scored even more, so an 8-1 result made for a fantastic afternoon. I commend the players for managing this over two matches in three days, plus travel.”
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Green Lionesses concede late in Wimborne loss
Guernsey FC Women are currently sitting in seventh place in their 11-team league.
Meanwhile, Guernsey FC Women’s two-match winning streak was halted by a 2-1 defeat at Wimborne Town. The islanders took the lead in the 35th minute with a stunning curling free kick from captain Candice Bougourd. However, the hosts equalized just before halftime with a header from Amiya Williams. The winning goal for Wimborne came in the 82nd minute courtesy of Lucy Roberts. Following this loss, Guernsey has dropped to seventh in the Southern Region Women’s Division One South, with one more match to play away against second-from-bottom AFC Varsity on April 19.
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