Ross to the rescue

WHEN goal number 400 arrived for the Green Lions on Saturday night, there were no prizes for guessing from whose right foot it came.

Guernsey FC have regularly been dragged out of trouble by their brilliant talisman and here again, Ross Allen came to the party.

His side were a goal down when they reappeared for the second half and, despite bossing the shots on goal stats, were playing poorly.

Step forward their lauded No. 10.

Less than 50 seconds after the restart, he had curled in a wondrous 30-yard free-kick, won by his own surging run, to take his tally for the club to 148 goals.

Even by his standards, it was one of his best yet – and he was nowhere near finished.

When he sold Kieron Joseph a merry dance and forced a save from which Dave Rihoy slid home, he had spearheaded a turnaround that had looked unlikely less than five minutes earlier.

It was the start of 45 minutes that is surely among the most

exciting the ground has witnessed and a GFC attacking display where the handbrake was released.

Even another Eastbourne strike to level it couldn't dampen the

enthusiasm and a brilliant effort from Ryan-Zico Black put them back in front.

Throw in Sam Cochrane's rare late goal to seal it – marred by the injury picked up in his celebration – and the 706 hardy supporters went home happier than an hour earlier.

In fairness to GFC, their first half display playing into the strong wind was improved on their efforts from three days earlier, but still without any fluency.

They were given an early scare when Max Hollobone smashed the crossbar with an ambitious first minute free-kick.

But after that, GFC had the lion's share of the chances.

Visiting goalkeeper James Broadbent produced a fine reaction stop to deny Dom Heaume, while Matt Loaring had the first of three good chances.

Broadbent just got enough behind an Allen poke to keep it out, with the Lions getting frustrated as they could not find their best.

They were punished on 36min., as Billy Medlock again demonstrated what a top-class finisher he is, after his hat-trick in December's reverse fixture.

GFC messed around in clearing the ball. It dropped to Medlock and after his first touch under pressure made the opening, the second was a lovely finish past Chris Tardif.

Loaring squandered two more opportunities to level soon after, but GFC were still fortunate to go in just one down, as Tardif smartly denied Medlock in stoppage time.

Something needed to change and whatever was said by Tony Vance worked a treat.

Allen surged forward from kick-off and the only way Eastbourne could stop him was with a trailing leg and a set piece where success looked implausible.

Nobody told Allen that, though, as although his effort took a small nick off the defensive wall, it was goalbound either way and gave Broadbent no chance.

That lifted the mood and from the next attack, Allen drifted out onto the left, turned Joseph inside-out enough times to make the

visiting full-back dizzy and went for goal.

It was an area he found with regularity in the second half that Eastbourne couldn't handle and it goes without saying that GFC have a very special player in their ranks.

Broadbent brilliantly pushed onto the post, but the rebound fell kindly for Rihoy, who didn't need a second invitation.

Vance's attacking team selection, having Nigel Hutton and the impressive Glyn Dyer as full-backs, meant chances were coming from everywhere.

Dyer's zipping effort was turned away and Rihoy dragged just wide, as the confident Lions threatened to wrap it up.

They were still vulnerable at the back, however, with Jack Battle's low cross being turned in by substitute Dominic Clark just seconds after entering the fray: 2-2.

Allen put a chance on a plate for Heaume to regain the lead, but Broadbent was equal again with a fine tip over the bar. But the goal wasn't long in coming.

This time, it was GFC sub Black, who responded to the crowd's chants with the strike that proved to be the matchwinner.

With 64min. gone, he took two steps in from the left to work an opening and when he did, his effort from the edge of the area gave Broadbent no chance.

Further chances came and disappeared as GFC went for the jugular. But nerves were becoming frayed as the advantage remained just one, before being settled on 82min.

A well-worked corner opened up Eastbourne and it ended with Cochrane guiding home into the far corner to send the skipper delirious.

His subsequent injury could be costly, but for this Saturday night at least, the Green Lions fans could go home happy knowing they had witnessed another Allen masterclass.

TEAMS

Guernsey FC: Tardif, Hutton, Cochrane (Isabelle 84), Dodd, Dyer, Mahon, Jordan (Black 61), Heaume, Loaring, Rihoy (McGrath 71), Allen.

Eastbourne Town: Broadbent, Joseph, Battle (Cumming-Bart 71), Elliott, Del-Gaudio, Greenfield (Adebayo-Rowling 77), Cooper, Howard-Bold, Hollobone, Mensah (Clarke 53), Medlock.

Referee: P. Howard.