McGrath gets early red and leaders drop points

Bels 1, Vale Rec 1

MARC McGRATH did his island chances no favours as he was sent off in Belgrave Wanderers' feisty draw with Vale Rec at the Track. The young centre forward featured in Guernsey's most recent match against the Naval Air Command and the island manager, Steve Ogier, was in the stand to witness McGrath's 28th minute punch on Jody Bisson as the two got tangled on the ground after they both went for a high ball. It left referee Geoff Carre no choice but to show the Bels player a red card.

Bisson, himself, was lucky not to see a card for his involvement.

Yet 10-men Bels still took the lead with 10 minutes to go through sub Billy Page, only to see Rec equalise six minutes later thanks to David MacNab. To say Bels' manager Micky Ogier was not happy at the end is an understatement.

'It was two points dropped,' he said.

'I'm disappointed as I thought we deserved to win it. With McGrath's sending off, he had to go.

'You can't raise your hands. If you do, there is a chance that you will get sent off.

'Jody should have gone because he definitely kicked out. They both should have gone.'

From the off, top-of-the-table Bels dominated proceedings but just could not seem to get a good shot on target. After 10 minutes, they came close to scoring on the break but winger Scott Bradford's cross was just behind McGrath on the six-yard box.

Rec came close as Rhys Gower's kick was charged down by Mark Ramsden, but luckily for the keeper, the rebound went straight back to him.

The stand was then treated to a comical sight as stand in linesman Ray Green slipped over in his trainers but the mood soon soured when the McGrath-Bisson incident happened. Both players had jumped for a cross that Bisson punched away.

As both players fell in a heap in the ground, Bisson kicked out and McGrath responded by punching him as he stood over him.

With the game now decidedly more aggravated, there was more pushing and shoving 10 minutes later after John Baudains went in two-footed on Ben Coulter, a foul that resulted in the Vale Rec midfielder being shown yellow.

Despite being down to 10, Bels were still in control of the game and Ogier decided to bring on Billy Page up front for left back Mick de la Haye in a bid to get a goal.

Half time came and went and four minutes into the second half it was Page who actually got Bels' first proper shot on goal, but it went along the ground straight at Bisson.

A couple of minutes later Page should have scored as Bisson and his centre half Matt Patch were involved in a mix up and Page got on the ball in the D.

But instead of shooting, the youngster decided to cut the ball back into the box and it went straight to a yellow shirt.

Page came close again a few minutes later as Bisson did well to palm his shot round the post.

The game degenerated into a midfield slog for 20 minutes until it was woken out of its slumber by Darragh Duffy getting the ball on the halfway and being chased down by Patch for a one-on-one with Bisson.

But as Duffy went wide Bisson comfortably dealt with his cut back and shot. On the sidelines Ogier was incensed as another golden opportunity was wasted and time was running out.

He cheered up, though, with 10 minutes left when Duffy did well out wide and delivered a pinpoint cross to an unmarked Page at the back post who had time and space to place his header past Bisson.

But the advantage was soon cancelled out as MacNab received the ball on the edge of the box after some good build up play and unleashed a great left- footed shot that zipped past Gower.

Before the final whistle tempers flared up again as Vale's James McColl went in high on Page. Both teams proceeded to get their handbags out again and McColl was lucky to be given only a yellow card.

Vale manager Chris Hamon said that his team were their own worst enemy on the day.

'Bels didn't really trouble us, we put ourselves under more pressure,' he said.

'We under-performed today. It took until 22nd minute of the second half before we got a shot on their keeper.

'He could have gone and watched the Arsenal-Spurs game in The Bowl during the first half.'