Green Lions going up against ‘Man City’ of division

The Isthmian South Central leaders visit Footes Lane this afternoon having started their campaign with seven wins from seven, scoring 27 goals in the process and conceding just three.

That comes off the back of their ‘invincible’ title-winning season in Combined Counties League Premier Division last term when they won 35 and drew three of their 38 matches.

Their last league defeat came in February 2023.

‘The reality is we are now facing the Manchester City of our league,’ said GFC manager Tony Vance.

‘Financially they are throwing everything they can at it. Farnham are in this league to win it and if they don’t, it’s a failure, but they will keep on going up because of their model and their finances.

‘We are not in that situation, it is not apples playing apples, more apples v pears.

‘When we play the likes of Farnham Town, you do wish we still had the four or five players who have gone professional, but any XI can beat any other XI on the day and we will prepare our team to try and win this game.’

Unfortunately, GFC are set to be without Matt Loaring, who has picked up a knock since scoring the winning goal at Horndean last week.

Jamie Dodd, Tom Dodds and Kieran Mahon are also unavailable, but Ben Acey and Dave Merris return to the ranks and the players involved with the Guernsey U21s come back into contention.

Having endured a stop-start campaign so far, GFC have six matches in October with five coming in the next two weeks, four of which are at home.

Binfield and Uxbridge visit on successive Wednesdays while Raynes Park Vale are here in a fortnight’s time and the Green Lions will travel to Raynes Lane next week.

‘It’s turned full circle now, gone from one extreme to the other, and we are going to be in need of bodies,’ Vance said.

‘This will be a good game, but we also have games coming up where we have to pick up points and we have to target certain games.’

n GFC against Farnham Town kicks off at 2pm today at Footes Lane.