Needing just a point to guarantee a top-five finish in the Southern Combination Premier Division, the Green Lions thumped Forest Row 8-1 in front of another four-figure crowd.
They were 2-0 up at half-time with goals from Will Fazakerley and Sam Murray and although Matty Feeny-Hill pulled one back for ‘Frow’ early in the second half, GFC shifted up a gear in the last half-an-hour.
An own goal restored the two-goal cushion before Ross Allen, Tom Vaudin, Ben Solway, Matt Loaring and Simon Arnold all got on the scoresheet for the rampant hosts.
However, GFC manager Tony Vance quickly emphasised after the full-time whistle that his side cannot take their foot off the gas now.
‘At the start of the season that [the play-offs] was the goal, now it has to be a home play-off. That’s the next step,’ he said.
‘I’m always realistic and while we could have won the league and we could have been up there contending, the logistical problems and the travel and everything about it makes it very hard.
‘And the budgets that you’re competing with, there’s always going to be one or two big-hitters. As we’ve seen when we’ve gone up against them, we can beat them in a one-off game, but to sustain it throughout the season, it’s very, very difficult.
‘So the play-offs was always the goal, the realistic goal, and so credit to the players. They’ve achieved that with a few games to spare.
‘But now we’ve got three tricky away games to try and make sure it’s a home advantage because as you’ve seen again today, home makes it, I’m not saying easier, but it allows us to embrace our style of football. It allows us to use the psychology and everything about it in terms of the analysis we do and all that scenario gives us an edge. So it’s imperative that we try and aim for that.’
GFC’s next game is away to Wick on Saturday, which coincides with the Muratti Vase semi-final between Alderney and Guernsey.
