Guernsey Press

East Grinstead Town 1, Guernsey FC 5

ANOTHER super attacking show, this time on their travels, rounded off one of Guernsey FC's best weeks in quite some time.

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Their midweek eight-goal thumping of Three Bridges had led to expectations that a third straight win, this time at East Grinstead Town, might be secured.

And the Green Lions didn't disappoint, rattling in another five to propel themselves to seventh in the Ryman South table and back within reach of the play-off spots.

Even in early season when they could not find their rhythm, GFC were still creating chances and looking menacing going forward.

That hasn't changed and the 13 goals in two games have taken their total to a brilliant 30 in 10 this season, double what it was this time a year ago.

And as a whole now, from back to front, the Lions are playing extremely well and this one could have been even more than five had they wished.

Instead, the withdrawals of Ross Allen – after another two-goal showing – and Dave Rihoy with the match won slowed things down.

One of the substitutes, Marc McGrath, scored another fine goal moments after coming on, but, naturally, the contest as a whole died off.

The absences of Chris Tardif and Angus Mackay meant inclusions for Tom Creed and Nigel Hutton in goal and at right-back respectively.

Creed would later provide arguably the game's turning point with his penalty save when 3-1 up.

Those changes aside, though, Tony Vance named the same side that won in midweek.

It meant another game together for the front three of Allen, Rihoy and Craig Young, all of whom shone.

Allen's brace has now taken his season tally to eight goals in three starts and four sub appearances after his belated start.

He is yet to complete 90 minutes in this campaign yet, incredibly, he averages a goal every 38 minutes in the league.

But his excellence was put into the shade by Young's brilliant display, his second in four days and probably his finest in a GFC shirt.

He was the man who made the Lions tick, as he held off players, made space for himself and created openings.

A sublime strike to double Allen's early opener was the highlight and it was fully deserved for the man who is really growing into GFC life now.

Young had a hand, albeit small, in the GFC opener that came with just 4min. on the clock and set the ball rolling.

He was fouled by Steve Sargent just outside the area and although Glyn Dyer's decent free-kick was parried away by Callum Christie, the danger wasn't done with.

A hurried clearance fell to Ryan-Zico Black – who was again excellent – and his lovely floated ball into the box was into Allen's path.

The brilliant No. 10 let it bounce and buried it into the far bottom corner with a great finish.

East Grinstead did provide a threat through Dan Turner down the left, who was a menace to Hutton throughout the first half.

However, a poor Sargent effort that went wide was the sum of those excursions forward in the early exchanges.

GFC continued to control the game and were dominant, but without creating too many clear openings, although it was often only because of the odd overhit pass.

Eventually, GFC's control was rewarded on the half-hour mark with a wonderful goal from Young.

From the back, Le Prevost played into Black who in turn found Young and then a one-two with Dom Heaume created space just outside the area.

The result was a delightful curling left-footed effort that gave Christie no chance in the East Grinstead goal.

Within moments, though, East Grinstead had secured a lifeline as poor collective defending from GFC allowed Sam Schaaf to surge into the box and find the far corner.

Kieran Mahon nearly restored the two-goal advantage with a long-range pile-driver that came off the crossbar, at the end of another cracking team move.

Had it gone in, it would have taken some beating as the goal of this season.

But the third did come on the stroke of half-time as Mahon intercepted a stray pass and fed Young, who put Allen in and despite being some way from goal, surged past Jon Hampson and emphatically found the far corner – 3-1.

Things continued in a similar vein after the restart, but East Grinstead were given a lifeline when captain John Sinclair went down in the box.

A penalty was awarded but Creed did well to parry away Sargent's effort.

Seconds later, it was 4-1 and game over as from a quick free-kick forward from captain Jamie Dodd, Allen found Rihoy who then teed up Black. His volley came back off the foot of the post but fell for GFC, which allowed Rihoy to fire back across the area and Black to tap in from close range.

That goal allowed Allen a rest, but within a couple of minutes his replacement McGrath had made it five.

On the counter-attack, McGrath made the most of Rihoy's decoy run to find the back of the net, via the inside of the post, from the edge of the area.

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