Guernsey Press

Clear-the-air meeting sparks shock victory

IT DID not match the feeling of winning a Siam, but Guernsey's remarkable 5-3 win over top-of-the-table Dorking was a fantastic, unexpected experience, said skipper Andy Bailey.

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'We were a different team... just incredible,' said Bailey, who revealed that the squad had had a 'pretty frank and open discussion' at a players' meeting after their previous match.

Bailey said the meeting had been needed.

'We were just very down. We'd lost four or five in a row and there was not a lot of energy at training.

'The idea was to shake things up and it did the trick. It wasn't a slagging match.'

On their previous away trip, Bailey's relegation-threatened side had capitulated 63-0

to second-placed Chobham.

Dorking, without a defeat in nine matches, must have thought they were quids in when the Guernsey squad arrived, then shocked by the resistance from the green-and-whites.

'Dorking did not play badly,' said Bailey.

'They threw everything at us in a very physical game.

'I was very impressed with young forwards Dave Harvey and Layton Batiste, who really came of age. But it's hard to single anyone out as the whole team played so well.'

The game was heading for a very rare 0-0 stalemate until, with just 10 minutes to go, the visitors were penalised on their 10-metre line and Dorking kicked the penalty to lead 3-0.

Guernsey then endured relentless pressure on their own line and Dorking looked like scoring when their winger was put clear with the line in sight.

Big Jim Regnard came to the rescue with a crunching tackle and with only a couple of minutes left Guernsey launched their own decisive break.

Dorking put in a kick to the Guernsey 22 which was fielded by Bailey, who broke to halfway before feeding Regnard.

The No. 8 fed Jim Elliott who delivered the scoring pass to winger Wyatt who went over in the corner.

With the conversion missed Guernsey endured the longest two minutes of their season as they tried to close the game out.

Bailey hopes the confidence of winning for just the third time in 10 starts will show in their play at home to bottom-of-the-table Effingham and Leath-erhead at the weekend.

'It's important we don't get carried away,' said the captain.

'We still have plenty to work on as our game was far from perfect on Saturday.'

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