GFC back in bottom two for Christmas

Having leapt two spots and off the bottom with their magnificent 6-2 thrashing of Staines Town 12 days ago they have been dumped back to 18th in the 19-team table after Staines, so dreadful at Footes Lane, managed to triumph at Tooting and Mitcham United.

Bottom of the table with only one win from their last nine league matches, The Swans won 2-0 with goals from two new forwards, debutant Andrew Ofosu and Ernest Murmylo, who was making his first home appearance.

Otherwise, it was virtually the same miserable Staines team that were so impressively swept aside by Tony Vance’s men in their last game of 2021.

The ability of English sides to draft in new players at seemingly the drop of the hat again highlights the disadvantage GFC find themselves at.

As Tony Vance has said time and again, it is so often about timing and teams in the South-Central are proving as up and down as a game of Snakes and Ladders, with a couple of notable exceptions.

‘It doesn’t make sense,’ said Vance. ‘That result and Sutton Common Rovers winning 3-0 at Chipstead, it just shows how level the league is.

‘I haven’t changed my position from early in the season that if we can get out our 14-15 best players every week we will be very competitive.’

Jersey Bulls, meanwhile, are shaping well to win promotion from the Combined Counties Premier League.

Gary Freeman’s side are now just a point shy of leaders Walton and Hersham with a match in hand.

As for the possibility of GFC and the Bulls facing each other next season or swapping places, Vance suggests it will not happen even if the Caesareans were to go up.

‘They should go up – they are too good for that league, but first and foremost will they [the Isthmian] put us together.

‘And I’m not worried about our league position.’