Sevenoaks felled by Guernsey

Guernsey 3, Sevenoaks 1

GUERNSEY'S veterans produced one of the best team performances seen for a long while when they knocked last season's quarter-finalists Sevenoaks out of the HA Vintage Trophy on Saturday. Goals from Kevin Hinshaw, Mike Webber and an absolute cracker from Richard Falla sealed a fully-deserved victory in front of an appreciative and raucous crown on the clubhouse balcony.

It was a win that owed everything to committed effort from the whole squad - bolstered by a quartet of Jerseymen - right across the park.

Guest keeper Tim Pollard pulled off several sharp saves, the defence held firm in the face of concerted pressure and half-a-dozen short corners for the purple-shirted visitors, and the midfield workrate was matched by three fine goals.

The best, though, was the third that sealed the victory and put Guernsey into the next round.

After a long period of possessional and territorial superiority for Sevenoaks, Guernsey hit back hard.

Richard Falla, having come inside after a spell on the far right of midfield, won a tackle on halfway, skipped past two lunging challenges and then fed the ball out wide to the overlapping Nev Streeting.

The winger made space around his man, then crashed a cross into the heart of the D to where Falla had continued his run. One touch, then a deadly finish into the bottom corner sent the crowd delirious.

It was a goal that would have done any of the senior island players proud.

Sevenoaks were deflated. With just eight minutes left on the watch, they threw everything forward, but the home back lines held firm.

The signs had been ominous. The away side, finalists in recent years, forced their first short corner in the fourth minute, then left midfielder Richard Arkle shaved a post with a cross-shot.

Pollard produced his first fine stop from the third short corner faced when Alistair Stoker flicked at goal.

But Guernsey forced two shorts of their own and from the second Mike Webber shot at goal and Kevin Hinshaw touched the ball past David Brown in the Sevenoaks goal.

Hinshaw played a huge part in the Sarnians' second, bursting impressively past a startled defence to thump a shot into the keeper's near post. He was wheeling away ready to celebrate when the ball crashed into the post and flew out, but Webber was on hand to control the rebound and finish past a covering defender.

Two-up at the break, Guernsey were content to slow the game and get men behind the ball, breaking quickly on the counter when they could.

From one such foray, Stan Challis produced the pass of the match, slipping the ball between his legs from the top of the D straight into the path of Webber, whose flick looked a certain goal until Brown flung out his stick and diverted the ball behind.

Sevenoaks finally broke the Guernsey resistance from a short corner 15min. from time. The first shot was stopped by Pollard but John Taylor was on hand to mop up the rebound.

On they pressed, searching for any weakness: there was none. Guernsey held so firm at the back, while Jeff Fisher and Kevin Lycett, the pace and mobility in midfield, harried the Sevenoaks ball carrier.

Then came Falla's moment of glory, and the match was deservedly Guernsey's.