Guernsey FC's promotion hopes fading fast

THEIR season has very much been one of ups and downs, but for Guernsey FC, this second major slump has come very much at the wrong time and their promotion hopes now hang in the balance.

Back when Tony Vance's men were seriously struggling for form back in the depths of winter – with away game after away game yielding no dividends – the Green Lions were asked for a response and duly delivered it.

A terrific run of form followed and for the vast majority of Sarnian fans, it looked as though a play-off spot was all but inevitable and a third successive promotion would duly follow for the free-flowing Lions.

And while that possibility remains, they face an almighty battle to be in action in the end-of-season shootouts a fortnight tomorrow, after this latest away day slip and, in truth, horror would be the best word to describe it.

It may not have been quite as bad as the 4-0 hammering at Walton & Hersham back in November, thanks to an encouraging opening 20 minutes here, but, that spell aside, it was a grim afternoon for the visitors.

Realism must be placed into the situation in that GFC had only 13 players available and a number of those are far from 100 per cent fit, as this gruelling season is threatening to catch up with them.

But the brutal fact is that they have now picked up just two points from a possible 15 in their last five games, making their last four games a real test of their character as much as anything.

It is wrong to write off any GFC side – time and again they have proved why with a brilliant response from a setback – but that upturn must come as quickly as tomorrow night in a must-win match at Redhill.

They know only too well that if they start the way they played the final hour here, then quite simply they will be beaten again and their play-off hopes could end up out of their hands.

In the end, it required Ben Pope and Harvey Sparks' late goals to give Worthing's success the margin it deserved here, after George Gaskin had broken the deadlock moments after half-time, with a lot of credit deservedly reserved for the hosts.

On another day and with a bit more of a clinical edge, nobody could have begrudged them a win of at least six or seven goals, such was the nature of many of the chances they created, only GFC goalkeeper Chris Tardif keeping the score down.

It had promised much more for the visiting Lions early on, though, as they began with a verve and vibrancy that suggested they could really cause Worthing some damage and get out of their recent scoring drought.

They targeted Worthing's high defensive line, with Josh Steel and Marc McGrath going close, while Dave Rihoy had the ball in the net but saw it chalked off for a debatable offside, as GFC dominated the opening exchanges.

But that GFC superiority quickly wore off as they regularly got themselves into trouble overplaying or dithering on the ball a second too long, surviving Gaskin squandering a glorious opening when he lifted over the crossbar.

George Hayward also should have scored from close range but leant back and side-footed over, as Worthing were well on top by half-time and, indeed, it was GFC who were glad to hear the toot of Graham Kane's whistle.

In hindsight, they must have wished he had not restarted the game, though, as they proceeded to have one of their worst 45-minute spells of the season and it all began with Gaskin's opener after just 71 seconds of it.

Hayward was allowed to waltz in far too easily and pull back to Gaskin, who cleverly guided home into the bottom corner. 1-0.

Gaskin nearly doubled the lead seconds later, thwarted by Tardif, while the GFC No. 1 also made a magnificent one-on-one save from man-of-the-match Lloyd Dawes, after he waltzed through a hole in the visiting defence.

Tardif also made a fine fingertip stop from home captain Lee Carey's piledriver and a number of other decent blocks, as he was the only GFC player to perform to his full potential on the day.

Indeed, as on numerous occasions in this campaign, the experienced stopper was magnificent.

He had to be, too, as the chances continued to come and although Worthing didn't grab the clincher until late on, GFC couldn't even get out of their own half, let alone create chances of note.

Ross Allen did have a penalty shout turned down as he wriggled free for the first time all afternoon, but that latter chance came only after GFC had conceded again.

Firstly, Pope miscued but fortunately managed to find the far corner from Alex Parsons' cross with 84min. gone and any faint GFC hope was extinguished for good – just after Hutton had missed – when Sparks made it 3-0 in the dying moments with a superb mid-range strike into the far corner.

Meanwhile, champions Peacehaven & Telscombe were doing GFC a favour by defeating in-form Merstham 3-1.

There was an exciting finish at Folkestone where Invicta edged out struggling Corinthian Casuals 2-1.

Both sides scored in stoppage time but Johan ter Horst's strike for the team lying third in the table settled the game.

Redhill, GFC's opponents tomorrow night, will be buoyed by a 3-1 home win over Hythe Town.

Gavin Gordon gave them a fifth-minute lead and Richmond Kissi scored either side of half-time to make the points safe.

TEAMS

Worthing: Fagan, Hendon, Carey, Heath, O'Neill, Parsons, Cody, Berry (Clarke 88), Dawes (Sparks 72), Hayward, Gaskin.

Guernsey FC: Tardif, Geall, Cochrane, Dodd, Alvarez (Martin 72), Pereira (Hutton 56), Steel, Black, Rihoy, McGrath, Allen.