McGrath stunner earns maximum points for Bels

Bels 2, Vale Rec 1

IT WAS a game Vale Rec did not deserve to lose.

But as coach Chris Hamon said afterwards, if you don't take your chances, you cannot expect to win. The visitors found themselves 2-0 down at half-time following 45 minutes in which both sides had showed much endeavour but little quality, the exception being Marc McGrath's second goal which was an absolute peach.

After the turnaround, Rec were rarely troubled by the champions as they enjoyed far more possession and territorial advantage but could muster only a solitary Gareth Holden strike.

'I thought the better side lost today,' said Hamon.

'I was very pleased with the performance - we showed lots of energy - but not with the result.'

His opposite number, Micky Ogier, emphasised that the three points were the most important thing on a day when he had a very patched-up side.

'You have got to remember that we were missing five or six players,' he said.

'It was nice to blood a couple of youngsters, give them their first game off the bench, as well as get the win.'

To be fair, both sides were short of personnel.

Bels' absentee list included Neil Clegg, Sam Cochrane, Brent Marquand and Paul Ramsden to go along with long-term injury victims Ben Coulter, Billy Page and Paul O'Neill.

Rec were without Malcolm Symons and Stuart Bisson as well as Guernsey under-18 tourists Robbie Titterington and Mark Ramsden.

It should not have been surprising, therefore, that the first quarter of the game produced little of note and it was quite a shock when Bels opened the scoring on 23min.

The goal was a comical one, though, as Marcus Queripel's volley struck the back of teammate Marc McGrath, who was taking evasive action, and looped over an unfortunate Jody Bisson into the net.

Coach Ogier described his island striker as 'a jammy git' for that goal, but was singing his praises for the 'cracking' one 10 minutes later.

In between, Anthony Austen went close with a flick header for Rec before Marc Rihoy hit a post and Laurence Abbott astonishingly struck the same upright from the rebound.

Then came McGrath's moment of magic.

Admittedly there was more than the suspicion of handball in the build-up, about which understandably Vale were fuming, but once Scott Bradford had slipped a pass through to his striker, you could only admire the skill.

McGrath, having made his run into the area, cut back to buy himself some time, looked up to see Bisson edging towards him and executed a delightful chip that went in off the inside of the post.

It took only 10 minutes of the second half for Rec to halve the deficit as Holden capitalised on Bels' inability to clear their line by hammering home a left-foot volley from 15 yards.

But although they were the better side for the remainder of the match, Rec were guilty of not testing Rhys Gower, who had only an awkward bouncing shot from Rihoy with which to deal.

Right at the death, Abbott turned his defender in the box as the ball sat up nicely for a volley, but he sliced his effort well wide.

'We gave away two sloppy goals, which we tend to do with Bels. The first had taken a wicked deflection and the second had the most blatant handball you have ever seen - the guy had basically caught it.

'But we have had some good chances and we did not take them,' Hamon said.