Ill-discipline costs Bailey's strugglers dear
Guernsey 14, Old Wimbledonians 28 IT'S looking bleaker by the game for Andy Bailey's relegation-threatened Guernsey side.
Guernsey 14, Old Wimbledonians 28
IT'S looking bleaker by the game for Andy Bailey's relegation-threatened Guernsey side. Another defeat leaves them firmly bottom of London Three South West and despite the defiance in Bailey's post-match words, you really cannot see Guernsey getting out of trouble now.
The green-and-whites did not help themselves with an indisciplined perfomance which saw them lose two men to yellow cards - James Regnard and Paul Thomas - and big John Flynn to a red.
Bailey wore an angry face as he came off a Foote's Lane pitch which had made a fine recovery after the mudbath of a fortnight earlier,
'I don't really want to say anything because I might get myself into trouble,' said Bailey before, albeit briefly going against his feelings to stay silent, continuing.
Bailey hinted that the punishments were merely down to interpretation, but that should not be an excuse.
Even when Guernsey were not losing players to the sin-bin they were regularly pushed back a further 10m for backchat.
Guernsey are a pale shadow of the team that won promotion and the Siam Cup last season but, to their credit, they never gave up on this one.
'We will fight to the end,' said Bailey.
'We're going to play for the badge man - we won't give up,' he exclaimed before disappearing into the dressing room for solace.
A few yards away Welshman Steve Thomas summed up Guernsey's demise as he told the BBC radio man: 'We've lot eight or nine players and two coaches this season and it's always going to be hard to cope with that.'
In truth, Old Wimbledonians looked a very average side themselves and it was easy to see why they started the match just two points ahead of the home side.
They did, though, have a dependable kicker in full-back Matt Jones and it was he who slotted the visitors ahead with a 10thmin. penalty made 10m easier by dissent in the defensive ranks.
But Guernsey were behind just two minutes and responded with a superb try which was a brief return to the exciting days of not so long ago.
Barry Goude started the move with a superb early and long pass to Regnard and in one lovely fluent move across the backs space was created for Mark Stone to receive the final ball on the wing and make the final 30m dart to the line.
Stone converted and Guernsey were 7-3 to the good.
Just before the half-hour mark Regnard was carded and during his spell behind the posts Jones slotted over another close-range penalty and winger Brian Boundy went over for the visitors' first try in the corner.
Jones successfully kicked again and Guernsey were 13-7 down at the break.
The Old Wimbedonians No. 15 slotted over another kick to make it 16-7 early in the second half and the period was just 11min. old when Thomas was yellow carded and, five min. later, Flynn saw red.
The visitors responded almost instantly with a try in the corner for Nick Johnson.
Jones' conversion attempt was again straight but on this occasion crashed onto the horizontal and instead of plopping over, fell back into play.
To their credit, Guernsey enjoyed a 15min. spell in which they did just about everything but score.
In two lengthy spells, Old Wimbledonians were pinned back on their own line and defended desperately against, for a short time, 13-man Guernsey.
The try would not come though and when centre Alex Horley darted through from 40m out and Jones converted the points were secure for the visitors.
Deep into stoppage time, Ben Mahy ran 60m unchallenged to score a consolation try converted by replacement Carl Gardner.