Jackson earns GFC a valuable point against play-off chasers

The GFC manager, who shares his birthday with his young striker Keene Domaille who made his first home start for the Green Lions on the day he turned 18, was able to enjoy a celebratory night out on Saturday in a far better mood than he was at half-time, that is for sure.

But having seen his side fall behind to an early Victor Osobu goal and then struggle to make any impression on the first 45 minutes against an Uxbridge side in the thick of the play-off hunt, he could take plenty of pride in the way they reacted after the break, and Tom Jackson’s headed equaliser 20 minutes from time was certainly merited in a game that ended 1-1.

Vance himself can, of course, take some of the credit for the second-half transformation, but he was quick to point out the part played by his assistant Colin Fallaize at the interval.

‘Fal wanted a little bit of a reaction and put it in the way that Fal can – and we got one,’ said the Green Lions manager.

‘We changed it tactically as well at half-time because I think we had to. Our ball retention was so poor that we needed to have a bit more structure. That changed worked and then bringing Faz [Will Fazakerley] on, that change worked as well, so it was nice that all worked and the way we upped our game contributed to a well-earned point.

‘If I’m honest, they [Uxbridge] missed a couple of chances that they should have done better with, but we’ll take a point.’

That point seemed a long way off when Uxbridge took the lead in the seventh minute having already gone close through a Juwon Akintunde shot.

The goal was all too simple with Anthony Mendy working his way towards the byline down the inside right channel and squaring the ball across the face of goal to give strike partner Osobu a simple tap-in.

For the best part of the next half-hour, only one side looked capable of scoring and it was the men decked in a smart away kit of sky blue shirts with navy blue shorts and socks, which made their supporters’ chants of ‘red army’ somewhat confusing.

The only time Uxbridge keeper Tyler Tobin looked in any difficulty in that time was when he came to collect a high ball and collided with his own defender.

Ten minutes before the interval, GFC created their first chance of the game as Domaille laid off to Seb Skillen, who cut back inside and fired a left-footed shot just over the angle of post and crossbar, but even by that stage it was obvious the hosts needed the break to regroup.

They still had to withstand a couple more attacks at the start of the second period before they really got a foothold in the game, but they were encouraged when Ross Allen had a shot blocked by Ryan Haugh after good work by Matt Loaring, and moments later Liam Mahon was not far wide with a long-range effort.

A good save from Lucas Hanley to deny Mendy ensured the deficit remained at just the single goal and within a minute Vance had introduced Fazakerley, moving to a 4-3-3 which gave GFC more solidity and threat.

The substitute almost made an immediate impact when he got a flick on to one of Jamie Dodd’s long throws with Tobin tipping the ball over the bar and 10 minutes later GFC were level.

The chance stemmed from another Dodd throw-in that caused a degree of panic in the Uxbridge defence and caused them to concede a corner.

With the visitors seemingly drawn to the potential threat posed by the height of Fazakerley and Jacob Fallaize towards the back post, Mahon whipped his inswinging delivery into the near post instead and Jackson rose to nod it home.

The hosts deserved to be level at that stage, but they very nearly gifted their visitors a second just moments later, and Mendy could not quite believe that he dragged his shot wide from just outside the six-yard box.

Dodd then put his body on the line to block a volley from Haugh and when the game entered injury time, Uxbridge had one last chance to snatch victory but more brave defending saw the Green Lions grab a respectable draw.

‘They are a decent side, they get around the pitch, create opportunities, create fouls here and there, so we need to be better at that and we are realising that every week, but ultimately without four or five key players it’s a good point,’ said Vance, who admitted that his side’s goal had not come straight off the training ground.

‘I’d love to say yes, but no it wasn’t. We have got variations on our corners, so we’ll add that to our variation list.

‘When we played them and lost 3-2 we didn’t deserve to lose, so we are in and around them and as I keep saying we didn’t have four or five key players today as well, so it’s further proof that we are not a million miles away if we can get the group that we need.’