Guernsey edge thriller

Guernsey 22, Winchester 21

MATCHES do not come much more dramatic than this. Guernsey will need to improve on the performance, but there can be no doubting the home side's character as they recovered from a 5-21 half-time deficit to edge out brave Winchester by a solitary point.

'If we dissect it, we did not really turn up in the first half,' said captain Andy Bailey.

'I think with it being the first home game of the season with a big crowd here, we probably thought we would be on it straight away, but we had to work hard.

'The big thing about it was our composure. We did not panic and eventually we got the scores we needed.'

With the wind at their backs in the first half, Winchester started brightly and after a sustained period of pressure on the Guernsey line, Richard Knight was pushed over for the opening try on seven minutes. Chris Ashwin added a fine conversion.

Guernsey hit back straight away and worked a fine pushover try of their own from a line-out on the left with young second-rower David Harvey taking the congratulations.

However, that was the one moment of brightness for the hosts before the turnaround and they were to concede two more converted tries.

While fly half Jordan Reynolds was in the blood bin, Guernsey were a bit disorientated and Winchester took full advantage with a terrific rolling maul that drew more and more Sarnians in before the ball was tossed out to James Kirkaldy to dive over.

Jim Elliott then came up with a magnificent try-saving tackle just a couple of yards out on wing Simon Farrington but the visitors added seven more points just moments later when Ashwin was gifted a simple finish after persistent pressure from his team who were camped on the Guernsey line.

Perhaps the most significant moment for Guernsey came at half-time with the decision to send on Darren Jones and Dave McGall.

Jones, in particular, made a huge impact as he forged a wonderful back row partnership with the immense James Regnard and suddenly Guernsey were making those all-important hard yards.

They had to cope with the loss of Simon Sharrott, who was sent to the sin-bin as a result of the team's persistent infringements, but they already had momentum.

They closed to within nine points when Bailey raced to the line after Reynolds and Elliott had worked an opening through the Winchester defence and Carl Gardner added the conversion.

Prop Jack Webber then powered his way over when the ball was recycled quickly following initial good work by Barry Goude down the right. Gardner's extra two points brought the score to 19-21.

Ten minutes from time, the Guernsey kicker went for goal from a penalty around 30 yards out and the ball drifted just wide.

However, just a minute later the visitors were penalised for not rolling away after making the tackle and Gardner made no mistake with the match-winning three-pointer.

Winchester pressurised Guernsey once more in a tense finale, but the home defence stood strong.

'There was a big wind out there and I thought if we were behind at half-time we could come back although we left ourselves with a lot to do,' Bailey said.

'But we remained patient in the second half and we did not blow our chances.

'While we are very happy to have won, we have a lot to work on in training on Tuesday.

'There is a lot more to come from this team.'