Crucial win takes GFC out of relegation zone

‘We’ve talked before about not trying to build up games in such a way that you say it’s got to be a must-win game, but Kevin [Gilligan], myself and Tony [Vance] were chatting and saying, “well, this is a must-win game, we’re just not going to tell the players”,’ said coach Steve Sharman following the 1-0 success.

‘But it was really, really important we didn’t lose today and I think it’s taken us out of the relegation zone again.

‘Also we owed this team because we didn’t give them a game two or three weeks ago when they beat us 5-0, so I thought we thoroughly deserved it.’

Ross Allen’s 55th minute goal proved the difference between the two sides, although the Green Lions ought to have scored more as they hit the woodwork three times and were denied by a couple of excellent stops from visiting goalkeeper Marcin Brzozowski.

Although they came under pressure at the other end at times in a generally scrappy game, 18-year-old debutant goalkeeper Will Seeley only had regulation saves to make.

‘I think we were really solid,’ Sharman said.

‘They’re not as poor a side as their league position dictates, really, and I thought we were really solid at the back.

‘We decided to play Tom Dodds in that six role, which on the one hand gives us really real solidity, but on the other hand changes the way that we have to play out, bearing in mind we had a brand new goalkeeper, Will, who did fantastically well.

‘If you look at the chances – Ross in the first half, Charlton hitting the post, Sam Murray hitting the bar, Ross, there was another one in the second half which I think he would have finished – I think if we’d won by a couple, that wouldn’t have been unfair.’

The win saw Guernsey climb two places to 18th in Isthmian South Central before they face trips to the top two in the space of four days, starting with Kingstonian on Wednesday.

• Read the full natch report in Monday’s Press.