Tony Vance welcomes back his key playmaker Charlton Gauvain from suspension while Frazer Maginnis and Cal Le Lacheur also return to the squad who head to Sussex full of confidence, having won five consecutive games for the first time in 11 years, and the Guernsey FC manager wants to maintain that momentum into 2026.
‘Obviously it’s about winning, isn’t it?’ said Vance.
‘We’ve put some good performances in to get the wins, but you just want to win and win however, and we’ve done that in the last month or so.
‘We’ve also, in January, got a lot of home games coming up, so we’ve got to take that opportunity.’
Vance added that was ‘a good sign’ that his side were able to play well and win against Seaford Town a week ago when they were without several players.
Although he admitted that there was briefly concern that it was not going to be their day when the visitors took the lead with a cracking goal totally against the run of play at Victoria Park.
‘That was the one worry in the first half, we were so dominant and they got a smash-and-grab goal, and it’s like this could be one of those days where everything’s going to go for them and nothing for us.
‘But luckily “Dupes” [Fin Du Port] scored, and that eased the tension a little bit and allowed us to focus on what was required, which was to go and win the game and focus on the areas where we can break them down.’
One of the goalscorers against Seaford, defender Ben Solway, is unavailable for today’s trip to Forest Row while last week’s debutant George Goubert and sub goalkeeper Jordan Kelly also drop out of the match-day squad.
Vance did take a moment, though, to give a word of praise to both Goubert and Gil Hunter, who also came off the bench to make his home debut against Seaford.
‘They deserve it. Gil’s travelled and been in a couple of away games and it was George’s first go, so I wanted to get them on,’ the manager said.
‘George had one nice run and nearly got himself an assist as well.
‘It’s good to see them getting the opportunity. They both want it really badly, so that’s really good, that’s what you want.’
Today’s opponents Forest Row got off to a flying start this season under the stewardship of joint managers Grant Hearn and Andy Willis, winning nine of their first 11 league games.
However, the pair left the club in mid-October to take over at East Grinstead Town in the Isthmian League and since then ‘Frow’ have won just once in the league – a 3-0 home success against Little Common over a month ago.
They drew their most recent home match 2-2 against Lingfield and they sit ninth in the table, four places and seven points behind GFC.
Vance has warned against complacency, though.
‘We will take them as seriously as any other opponent – it’s a tough away game just after Christmas, so if we can get another three points, that’d be a great end to the year and then we can focus on what’s required in the new year,’ he said.
The GFC boss added with a wry grin that while he hoped his players enjoy the festive period with family and friends, he also trusts them not to be suffering from a Christmas hangover today.
‘To be fair to them, they have been doing this long enough that they know the consequences if they were to let us down.
'Guernsey being Guernsey, I get to know what they’ve been up to.’
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