GFC's away-day blues continue in Ramsgate

FOOTES LANE has been made a fortress again in recent weeks and how glad Guernsey FC must be as their miserable Ryman South away form continues.

It is now half-a-dozen games without a win on the road for GFC, a run that has garnered just two points, with this another deserved reverse on the Kent coast against a Ramsgate side far better than them on the night and now right back in the play-off mix.

The Green Lions will be rueing the fact that Ross Allen's penalty could have rescued them something late on, but for once he missed.

Dave Rihoy also hit a last-gasp rasping shot into the side netting, but in truth, they were outplayed for too long a period to warrant a positive result.

Aside from their own penalty miss, the hosts squandered numerous other chances throughout, particularly in the first half when it was a mystery how they did not lead by more than the one goal they did get through Sam Cochrane's own goal.

It could easily have been five or six by that point on a night that GFC will quickly want to banish from their memories ahead of an even bigger clash at closest rivals Folkestone Invicta this weekend.

They will have to start far better in three days' time, though, as Ramsgate were on top from the first whistle here and Ian Pulman blazed over from a glorious position as early as the fifth minute, before James Sherman fizzed a low effort just wide.

Pulman had a shout for a penalty correctly turned down when he surged through one-on-one with GFC goalkeeper Tom Creed, went around him, but then slipped over before he could slide into the empty net.

The warning signs were there for GFC, who continued to give away possession in the wrong areas and put extra pressure on an unfamiliar defence that saw Glyn Dyer deployed at left-back.

Allen came close at the other end from distance on a night when GFC's star was left feeding mostly on scraps, before the action returned to the other end and a brilliant intervention by Creed, although only after Chapman had been denied a blatant penalty for a trip by Tom de la Mare.

Creed perhaps should have done slightly better than parrying Macauley Murray's low strike straight out to Pulman, but the second save was nothing short of astonishing, as he somehow lifted a hand to push the rebound over the crossbar from point-blank range.

Creed's opposite number Nick Shaw also made a stunning save of his own shortly after, pushing Allen's goal-bound pile-driver onto the crossbar and behind for a corner.

Pulman, Sherman and James Everitt all came close again to opening the scoring, before the deadlock was finally broken on 39min. in unfortunate fashion for skipper Cochrane.

Tom Chapman's expertly guided header across goal beat Creed and looked in, but came back off the inside of the post into the danger zone, where Cochrane looked to clear but could only fire into his own net.

It was a deserved lead for Ramsgate at half-time and they could have doubled it within moments of the restart, GFC scrambling to make some key blocks in the opening seconds of the second half.

But that resistance was broken again on 51min., Creed once more at the centre of the action as an Aaron Millbank cross from the right was misjudged, the GFC number one only pushing it onto his crossbar under pressure.

Everitt, who had forced the mistake, was there to tap home from inches out – 2-0.

The visitors had a mountain to climb and introduced on-loan Rhys Jordan for his second GFC debut, de la Mare's groin injury forcing him off, and in fairness, GFC as a collective improved significantly and fought their way back.

Chances were few and far between at either end, though, until Allen's individual brilliance conjured up the possibility of another great escape act midway through the half.

On his own, he beat a couple of challenges as he looked to weave his way through on goal, only being stopped by two cynical tackles, the second winning a free-kick 22 yards out on the edge of the 'D'.

He was the only man ever taking it and it was another Allen stunner, as he curled around the wall and into Shaw's bottom corner, taking his tally to 34 for the season and not for the first or last time, giving his side a lifeline.

Tom Martin entered the fray for Marc McGrath as manager Tony Vance changed things around and the Lions continued their period of being on top, having the chance to level it on 77min.

A clearance under pressure from Creed found its way forwards to Allen who, on his own, nearly produced one of the goals of the season as he flicked over his marker on the right and bore down on goal.

This time, though, Shaw won the battle with a super save for a corner, that produced more drama, as Dyer's ball in was inexplicably handled by Curtis Robinson under no pressure whatsoever – penalty.

It is a situation Allen relishes, but this time, he slipped slightly as he went to strike the ball and did not connect perfectly, allowing Shaw's feet to keep out the effort that went down the middle of the goal.

That was a hammer blow for Vance's men and looked especially so soon after when Rihoy sent Everitt sprawling in the opposite area for another stonewall spot kick that this time was given.

But again the keeper won the battle, as Chapman's poor low effort was well kept out by Creed going down to his left and he would later make another good stop from Murray at the beginning of a lengthy period of stoppage time.

That could have been decisive in the game's final attack with close to 96min. now on the clock, but from Dyer's free-kick pumped forward and a flicked header, Rihoy's left-footed half-volley from an angle gave Shaw no chance and saw the net bulge.

However, it was the outside of it and a dramatic evening had ended in Ramsgate's favour.

TEAMS

Ramsgate: Shaw, Butcher, Hill (Schulz 70), Laslett, Robinson, Millbank, Murray, Sherman (Treadwell 70), Chapman, Pulman (Pilcher 89), Everitt.

Guernsey FC: Creed, de la Mare (Jordan 54), Cochrane, Dodd, Dyer, Hutton, Black, Heaume, Rihoy, McGrath (Martin 71), Allen.

Referee: I. Bentley.