Dynamic Sarnians ease into the second round

Guernsey 7 Plymouth University 1

DAMIAN WALLEN bagged a first-half hat-trick as the island side swept into the second round of the HA Trophy at Foote's Lane on Saturday. The all-black students were no match for Nick Mahy's side who were fluent and purposeful for the entire 70 minutes and so dominant they could give all their youngsters in the 16-man squad useful pitch time, if you call two seconds beneficial.

That was all poor Stephen Eulenkamp got, the College sixth-former coming on with the 70min. up on the clock and was on his way to taking his place wide on the Guernsey left when the umpire blew the final whistle.

The coach saw the funny side of the situation and said it was great to get youngsters such as Eulenkamp, who admittedly looked good in moving across the all-weather surface, Jonny Clark, Ollie Richards and Tim Ravenscroft experience of playing at senior island level.

Clark even got the chance to score the goal of the match, Guernsey's sixth.

Mahy was pleased and looking forward to today's draw.

'It was a very good performance.

'I was pleased with the movement and the penetration up front.

'It was dynamic, although the finishing left a lot to be desired.'

Guernsey were forever changing their front three as they made good use of the rolling subs format.

But no player looked more threatening or as talented than Andy Whalley who scored two late on.

Guernsey were ahead after three minutes and from their

first short corner.

Wallen took it and when Andy Alford's goalbound shot fell down off the block, the captain was on hand to poke it home.

Four minutes later Wallen sent the keeper the wrong way from a penalty and the big following on the Hockey Club balcony could relax and soak up the sun, beer and goals.

Chance after chance came and went but Plymouth gave the home side a scare when skipper Ian Beable scored from the most acute of angles on 18 minutes.

But Guernsey were soon back in control, Wallen pouncing from close range to make it 3-1 on

23.

The fourth came six minutes after the break,

Whalley elegantly moving into the D, slipping past the sprawling keeper and scoring into an

empty goal.

Two minutes later he flicked in a fifth from close in after Rob Newton's penetrating run into the heart of the D.

The best, though, was yet to come.

Barry Wallace and Wallen linked in a move from left to centre and when the skipper fed Clark the youngster crashed in a superb shot from just inside the zone.

Simon Beck netted the seventh.