SOUTH PARK 2 (Johnson 41’; Healy 90+1’)
GUERNSEY 2 (Murray 13’; Allen 19’)
Guernsey secured their survival in Isthmian South Central despite having a victory snatched away from them in stoppage-time at South Park on Easter Monday.
The point was enough to ensure they will be playing Step Four football next season after Merstham felt the wrath of Walton & Hersham in a 6-0 reverse, perhaps taking out their anger after failing to breach the Green Lions’ defence on Saturday, and Sutton Common Rovers were held to a 1-1 draw by Leatherhead.
Sam Murray and Ross Allen had given the Sarnians the perfect start inside 20 minutes but the Sparks pulled one back before half-time, and despite GFC’s best efforts to snatch a third in the second half, threw the kitchen sink at the visiting defence in the closing stages and eventually got their reward.
At the turn of the year, Tony Vance’s side were rock bottom and struggling to even score a goal, let alone win a game – relegation looked a distinct possibility. But a fantastic return of 29 points and 31 goals from their last 17 games saw their status for next season confirmed with three games to spare, rather than an agonising final day wait.
They will now want to finish closer to halfway, and have three games to enjoy without pressure. Hopefully the Green Lions will play with the handbrake off and bag a few more goals.
It was a quiet start in terms of chances, but Guernsey got their noses in front on 13 minutes. The initial corner routine was snuffed out but Allen kept the ball alive and exchanged passes with Dave Merris before curling in an inswinging cross that landed at the feet of Sam Murray to help it home and earn himself double figures in his debut season – the first player to do so since Nigel Hutton in 2012-13.
Melford Simpson tried to bring down a bouncing cross and hook it towards goal on 16 minutes but didn’t get a good connection and Josh Addison collected as it bounced up.
The Green Lions were in dreamland inside 20 minutes as Allen’s delicious lob doubled the lead. He timed his run behind the defenced to get on the end of Fallaize’s chip forward, spotted Zak Basey off his line and sent a delicate chip over his outstretched arm and wheeled away nonchalantly as it dropped in the far corner.
Addison’s first real test was to field the ball as Finlay Johnson aimed for the top corner from outside the area midway through the half.
Decent efforts from Matt Loaring and Charlton Gauvain forced corners around the half-hour, but Johnson flashed a rising shot just above Addison’s crossbar to remind the visitors that there was still a threat to deal with.
However, Guernsey were still looking dangerous every time they went forward – a couple of wayward efforts from Allen not matching the quality of the build-up.
That forward play almost earned dividends again on 38 minutes as Dodd strode forward to collect Gauvain’s pass and played in Will Fazakerley for a fantastic drive across goal into the top corner – but the forward had moved a little early and the offside flag went up.
Not long after that, South Park were back in it as Ben Jordan threated a pass through for Johnson who drilled towards the near post goal from the angle. Addison was disappointed to let the shot go through him and the hosts were back in it.
The Green Lions came out for the second half with purpose to find that third goal and make the result safe, but ended it hanging on. Allen found some space on the break and tested Basey from the angle on the hour, and there was chaos in the South Park box with just over a quarter of an hour remaining when the Sarnians failed to convert three chances in quick succession.
Allen took up possession from Murray and drove down the left before crossing for Fazakerley in the six yard box, but Fazakerley caught his feet in a muddle and couldn’t turn it in. Tom Dodds collected and smashed it low back towards goal but Basey turned it away as far as Allen, who cut back onto his right foot and curled towards the far post. Basey was beaten but the ball bounced agonisingly against the upright and away, with Loaring blocked as he looked to get in one more chance.
Craig McGee headed a free-kick straight at Addison in between those two incidents, and in the closing stages it was about last-ditch blocks and clearances in the Guernsey box as the visitors dropped deeper and deeper. Ryan Healy and Sam King both fired off target from outside the box.
The Sparks got their reward as the game ticked into injury time. Melford Simpson headed a right-wing delivery down into the path of substitute Elliot Cross on the edge of the box. His mishit shot found its way to Healy on the corner of the six-yard box and the defender turned and thrashed the ball in despite the best efforts of Jacob Fallaize on the line. GFC were convinced that Healy was offside but the appeals were ignored and the Green Lions would have to settle for a point.
A point still wasn’t much good to South Park in their play-off hunt, though, and they wanted one more. Vaudin blocked crucially from Johnson before a foul led to a free-kick right on the edge of the box. Luckily, Cross sent the last kick of the game over the bar.
It meant the afternoon’s events were out of Guernsey’s hands and there was a nervous wait for a couple of hours while the division’s other games played out, but the good news of the Green Lions safety was confirmed around 5pm. Drinks all round.
GFC remain in 15th with the afternoon’s other results as follows: Bedfont Sports 2-1 Uxbridge, Binfield P-P Marlow, Hanworth Villa P-P Northwood, Southall P-P Ashford Town, Sutton Common Rovers 1-1 Leatherhead, Thatcham Town 0-2 Basingstoke Town, Tooting & Mitcham United 1-1 Chipstead [TOOTING & MITCHAM ARE RELEGATED], Walton & Hersham 6-0 Merstham, Westfield 0-2 Chertsey Town.
South Park: 1 Zak Basey; 2 James McElligott; 3 Sam Tutt; 4 Craig McGee (15 Elliot Cross, 81’); 5 Matthew Faithorn; 6 Ryan Healy; 7 Deondre Date (17 Ethan Ford, 80’); 8 Ben Jordan (16 Brendan Murphy-McVey, 62’); 9 Finlay Johnson; 10 Sam King; 20 Melford Simpson. Not used: 12 Hugh Lang; 14 Balai Dembele.
Booked: Date, Jordan.
Guernsey: 1 Josh Addison; 2 Tom Dodds; 3 Jamie Dodd (c) (12 Joe Alvare, 64’); 4 Tom Vaudin; 5 Jacob Fallaize; 6 Dave Merris; 7 Charlton Gauvain; 8 Matt Loaring (17 Liam Mahon, 80’); 9 Sam Murray; 10 Ross Allen; 11 Will Fazakerley (15 Keene Domaille, 86’). Not used: 16 Brandon Wallace.
Booked: Fallaize, Gauvain, Fazakerley.
Attendance: 120.
Highlights are available on GFCTV now.