Bisson adds spark and important leveller

Gloucestershire 1, Guernsey 1

THIS was much more like it. Guernsey's performance was far from perfect, there are still a lot of things to work on, but what the management team wanted, they got.

Phil Corbet and Colin Fallaize, his assistant, had emphasised that this fixture with Gloucestershire was the starting point for the next four months. They wanted a foundation to build on.

Their players responded well with several, in particular Danny Bisson, staking a claim for a starting place in the upcoming, vital matches.

It is an old cliche but you certainly could not tell which of the two teams at Oaklands Park, Almondsbury, were attempting to book their place in the South-West Counties Championship final.

Gloucestershire were not particularly impressive, but then Guernsey did not allow them to be in what turned out to be a fiery encounter.

It was the visitors who created the first couple of openings with Tristram Morgan and Chris Chamberlain both having shots on goal and yet when the deadlock was broken on 18min. it was the black-and-whites who scored it.

Guernsey's defence got stretched and when Jamie Hammond knocked in a delightful cross from the byline, midfielder Jason Donovan headed home.

The green-and-whites took a couple of minutes to overcome the shock of being behind, but they were soon putting pressure back on the Gloucestershire back three and they came close to equalising when Morgan hit a fine free kick that got a slight deflection before rebounding off the post.

The Vale Rec. maestro had seen a lot of the ball up to this point and looked good, but controversy is always just around the corner when he is involved. This time though, he was the innocent party.

The ball had been crossed into the Guernsey box and Donovan felt his side should have been awarded a penalty - whether for handball or for a foul was difficult to tell - but it did not materalise and as the players cleared the area, he tripped Morgan.

The Guernsey player got up and confronted the goalscorer, who squared up and then headbutted him to send Morgan to the floor.

Remarkably, though, despite a conference of all four of them, none of the officials saw the butt and Donovan was merely cautioned for a push when a red card should have been the punishment.

That episode certainly added some spice to the remainder of the match.

Morgan had to be substituted at half-time due to a sore knee, but his replacement, Danny Bisson, had a huge impact on the game.

The Rec. striker gave much- needed assistance to the willing Ryan Tippett up front and his pace was to cause Gloucestershire problems all afternoon and, most importantly, he got Guernsey on level terms 10 minutes into the second half.

It was a cracking move involving almost half the side.

The ball was worked right through Gavin Le Page to Micky Wilson who found Tippett up the flank. The Sylvans man took his time before delivering an inviting cross which Bisson headed home.

For much of the remaining play, Guernsey had the initiative but failed to test goalkeeper Andy Fisher.

They were almost punished in injury time but Clayton Hook headed over when found unmarked by Simon Trueman.

That would have been an injustice, especially as Stuart Polson and John Nobes had been so commanding in the second half, but Guernsey did leave with a reward.