‘That was our best point of the season’

Although a point took Walton & Hersham back to the top of the table on goal difference, following Basingstoke Town’s victory on Good Friday, the goalless draw at Footes Lane ended their winning run at 14 games and in the context of the league was much more valuable to Guernsey FC, who rested several big names ahead of today’s trip to South Park,

but deservedly got some reward for executing their stifling game plan to near perfection.

It would have only been bettered if Danny Hale’s free-kick on the hour had dipped below the crossbar rather than clatter into it to snatch an unlikely victory.

But the roar with which the Garenne Stand greeted the final whistle showed the magnitude of this result for the home side.

‘I think that’s probably our best point this season, just in the context, in the situation, with the group of players who went out there and in that style and, of course, who we were playing against,’ said GFC manager Tony Vance.

‘We are nearly there, nearly over the line now,’ he added of a trying season that has just a fortnight remaining.

Guernsey remain 15th in the table with 39 points. They are seven clear of the relegation play-off places with four games remaining.

Victory at South Park today would guarantee their place in this division for next season and that is why Vance opted to rest the likes of Jacob Fallaize, Charlton Gauvain and Ross Allen on Saturday.

‘I’ve learnt the players will always put their hands up because they want to play, that’s brilliant, but they are not machines and I thought today the level that we would have to play at to get something out of this game against a team who are very good, the best team in the league, might have taken far too much out of us to then do Monday’s game justice, so I wanted to plan for both games,’ he said.

‘So far it’s working and we can get some fresh players in, some big strong players as well, but today the players out there were absolutely phenomenal.’