Vance proud of youthful side but misses Griffin's super strike

‘I didn’t see it,’ admitted the GFC manager yesterday of the youngster’s terrific left-footed volley midway through the first half of the 4-1 defeat away to Isthmian South Central title challengers Chertsey Town.

‘I was getting increasingly concerned about our shape, so I had gone into our dugout and was writing down a new shape, then I heard a cheer, looked up and we had scored,’ added Vance of what was an equaliser at that point in the game.

‘I have seen the footage now and it is some goal, but the message for Jack and the team is that’s what can happen if you decide to take a shot.

‘It’s good for Jack, because we have been working on that with him.’

Griffin’s goal equalised Conor Lee’s sixth-minute opener but the ‘Curfews’ were ahead again before half-time through Reuben Collins, who turned the ball in at a corner.

After the interval, Oliver McCoy added the third before Gianluca Botti completed the scoring with 20 minutes remaining against a youthful GFC side, with both Ben Solway and substitute Jacques Cauvin making their debuts.

‘Chertsey were a very good side, definitely one of the best we have played this season,’ Vance said.

‘I thought Southall were good on Saturday, but this lot had more of a cutting edge to them and it was really the first time we have had to react in-game to change our shape to try and stop them from scoring.

‘But we have gone there with more experienced teams in the past against lesser Chertsey teams and lost 4-0 twice, this time we had an average age around 21-22 and a couple of debutants and I thought the lads did very well.

‘I was really proud of them being such a young group and they will be better for the experience – if not now, then at some point in the future.

‘At the end of the day, we have gone away on Saturday and Tuesday with low resources to the top two sides in the division and performed, so it’s encouraging.

'But we have also got to be realistic and we need points.’