Guernsey Press

GFC give thanks for misfiring Harper

Guernsey FC 1, Dorking 0 NOT for the first time lately, Marc McGrath was Guernsey FC's saviour with a vital second-half strike on a Friday night fraught with tension at Footes Lane.

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Guernsey FC 1, Dorking 0

NOT for the first time lately, Marc McGrath was Guernsey FC's saviour with a vital second-half strike on a Friday night fraught with tension at Footes Lane.

Although he did not leave it as late as his last-minute intervention against Sandhurst the previous weekend, the in-form McGrath's 62nd minute goal was late enough as far as the Green Lions were concerned.

The front man was once again excellent and besides his attacking threat, he put in a great shift as he ran tirelessly for his team.

That said, the game's standout performer was at the other end of the pitch.

Chris Tardif deservedly picked up the man-of-the-match award, the home keeper making a string of fine saves that, allied with Thomas Harper's wastefulness for the visitors, let GFC off the hook big time from a below-par display.

Dorking looked anything but the side languishing at the bottom of the table and who GFC had beaten 6-0 back in August.

They looked threatening throughout, lively, pacy and sprayed the ball around nicely.

They should have had a hatful of goals, but GFC themselves should have had more than the one they did, McGrath wasting the best early chance in a one-on-one battle with Kieran Campbell, shooting straight at the Dorking keeper, and Dom Heaume putting the rebound wide.

Harper had already shot straight at Tardif before he diverted a header shockingly wide from a glorious unmarked position, while Aaron Cole-Bolt also brought about a fine block from GFC's number one.

The hosts spurned another glorious chance when McGrath's lovely ball set Dave Rihoy away, but uncharacteristically he was indecisive in front of goal and shot straight at Campbell, rather than go round him.

From a one-on-one opportunity, Harper steered another effort wide of Tardif's far post from Cole-Bolt's neat pass and it was not third time lucky either, as Tardif was called into action, this time blocking another great Harper chance.

Dorking should have been punished for that prolifigacy when Heaume missed a sitter in the dying moments of the half, the midfielder somehow turning Glyn Dyer's low cross over the crossbar from close-range.

The early part of the second-half largely followed the pattern of the first, with Tardif making his best save of the lot with a fine reaction block to prevent Alex Penfold from breaking the deadlock after a chaotic corner.

GFC's lack of options soon led to Ross Allen making his comeback from injury in place of the tireless Simon Geall and the arrival of GFC's star man instantly lifted the atmosphere and stretched the game as a direct result.

Within minutes, his side were ahead and he had an assist to his name.

Rihoy's low long-range effort forced a fine save out of Campbell, but the rebound popped up for Allen and after making space for himself, he pulled back across for McGrath to rifle in an unstoppable low drive from 15 yards.

That lifted GFC's performance levels markedly for a spell without being able to kill the contest off, despite decent chances for Dyer, Heaume and McGrath being created.

It could easily have come back to bite the Lions as Tardif had to be alert to deny both Reece Jackson and Cole-Bolt, before Harper missed his fourth gilt-edged opportunity of the night with 87min. on the clock.

He burst through on goal and chose to lob Tardif, but the effort bounced harmlessly wide and GFC had used a get out of jail free card against the side already doomed to Combined Counties League Premier Division relegation.

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