‘Terrible’ Green Lions get what they deserve
A FIRST-HALF horror show meant that Guernsey FC missed the chance to lift themselves out of the Isthmian South Central relegation zone yesterday afternoon.
The Green Lions were the architects of their own downfall as they contrived to allow Rayners Lane to resemble Real Madrid at times at Footes Lane.
The hosts ended up on the wrong end of a 5-1 hammering with the first four Rayners Lane goals coming in the space of 22 first-half minutes as time and again the blues were given acres of space to exploit, which they did with relish.
The visitors had a couple of outstanding individuals in Remy Bennison and Josh Green, while others impressed too, but when GFC watch the footage back of this defeat they will find they were guilty of shooting themselves in the foot on a regular basis.
‘Terrible – we were really, really poor,’ was GFC coach Steve Sharman’s assessment of the performance.
‘It was good it was only 90 minutes in the end.’
GFC’s goal had already led a charmed life before visiting skipper Frank Keita gave his side the lead in the 20th minute as he turned in Bennison’s cross and Deshane Dalling doubled their advantage on the half-hour, following up to knock in the rebound after Josh Addison had saved from Bennison.
It quickly got worse for the Green Lions as Keita nodded in from close range and Dalling completed his brace before the break, too, with Bennison getting his third assist of the half.
Ross Allen won and converted a penalty in the 45th minute to give the half-time scoreline a flattering look for the home side.
They did improve after the turnaround – it would have been nigh-on impossible not to – but they failed to convert any of their chances while Elliott Buchanan completed the scoring at the other end.
‘I just didn’t see a version of Guernsey FC really,’ Sharman said.
‘The first thing you ask every individual to do is to fight for the shirt... and at half-time we could have taken 11 off and not one player could have said that they were being hard done by. They didn’t need to outplay us. We were out-bullied, gave them goals – so really, really disappointing up to half-time.
‘Anybody with a shred of decency as a footballer would want to go out in the second half and try and improve. Again, we gave them another goal – probably all five were the same – but at least we pressed and created chances.
‘It seems strange to say, but I think we could have scored three goals in the second half, quite easily, and that’s not exaggerating really.
‘But there was a real opportunity today to do something, and we were really poor.’
