Guernsey may go Dutch in preparation for Jersey

A GOLDEN goal has seen Guernsey suffer a shock exit from the Harrod UK Men's Trophy. At the end of normal time, the Investec island side were 3-3 in their second-round tie away at Bournemouth on Sunday, but an extra-time strike by their Surrey and Hampshire League opponents has seen them crash out of the national competition.

Manager Andy Graham was left ruing the large number of chances that his side missed as they went down 4-3.

'It was heartbreaking,' he said.

'The guys are gutted. We had the better of them around the park.

'We had 10 short corners whereas they had two all game. We had numerous shots around the D and did nothing with them.

'With the percentage of shots we had, we should have had four or five. They are a good team, they should go up into the Southern Premier League, but we would normally expect to beat this level of opposition.'

Stepping onto a hybrid water and sand-based pitch that was more bouncy than that to which they are used, the Sarnians soon found themselves 2-0 down against a physical Bournemouth outfit. But a Rob Newton strike just before half-time dragged a goal back for the visitors.

Five minutes into the second half, the scores were levelled thanks to a trademark TJ Ozanne drag flick from a short corner.

However, Graham's men found it difficult to breakdown their opponents' defence all game.

'We couldn't unlock them and then they would hit us on the break,' said Graham.

'We pressurized them so much that they couldn't play any other way.'

That tactic paid off for the home team as they took the lead again, albeit in controversial circumstances.

The ball looped off Guernsey keeper Andy Good after a save and while it was in the air, a Bournemouth player went to hit it into the net but managed to connect with Guernsey defender Tony Veillard instead.

At least a short corner for the high ball or a 16-yard hit should have been awarded for the foul on Veillard but instead a goal was given when a Bournemouth player put the now free ball into the empty goal.

The game looked over for Graham's men as time and time again they failed to convert their pressure into goals.

That was until the dying moments when the archetypal 'fox in the box' Ozanne popped up to get his second and force the game into extra time.

But that was soon wiped out when Bournemouth got the goal they needed with one attack.

They now travel to Old Midwhitgiftians in Croydon for the next round.

For Guernsey, the exit worryingly leaves a gap in their calendar, as the next scheduled match is the inter-insular in Jersey in March.

According to Graham, one option is to go to Holland in January to take on some Dutch league opposition.

New players will need to be blooded as winger Adam Kitching is leaving the island shortly and Newton will soon be off travelling.

'Even though it is a knockout competition, we had planned to do better than we did,' Graham said.

'Unfortunately we have to live with these things. We're now going to have to sort out some games before the inter-insular so that we can bring in some more players.'