Egham Town 2, Guernsey FC5
(after extra time. 2-2 at 90min.)
IT WAS a game that promised so much and yet still managed to deliver even more, as Guernsey FC showed the CCL Premier Division exactly what they were made of last night.

In a pulsating cup tie that no one knew where the next twist was coming from, the Green Lions turned in a stunning performance to more than match the side currently riding high a division higher and merit their extra-time victory.

Superior fitness was ultimately the difference in a breathtaking display in the additional 30 minutes, when Egham were left chasing shadows at times.

Not that it was all plain sailing, as the home side showed their own class and will wonder how they did not seal the game in a 20-minute period immediately after half-time, as the GFC goal resembled the defence of the Alamo.

They came through that only 2-1 down, having led at the interval through a Ross Allen strike, but it could easily have been worse had it not been for a tremendous backs-to-the-wall effort, in particular by the team’s colossal captain, Sam Cochrane.

Keeping the deficit at that one goal proved to be the key to that revival in the later stages, although the action had begun from the first whistle.

After taking a few early minutes to adjust to the quicker pace at this level, GFC acquitted themselves well, with half-chances coming and going at both ends of the pitch.

GFC were looking threatening on the counter-attack, although they stayed level only thanks to Paul de Garis’ quick fingertip reaction save to prevent Angus Mackay’s header going in his own net.

Ryan-Zico Black would pick up a costly booking in those early stages, but it was the visitors who took the lead on 26min., with Allen nabbing his 49th of the season.

Breaking free of the Egham backline, he coolly slotted past Josh Henry into the bottom corner to grab a vital lead, which was nearly extended moments later, Henry this time denying Allen.

At the other end, Egham were looking dangerous, especially through the superbly gifted Tom Hedges, but no real chances presented themselves, something that was rectified after the break.

Matt Loaring had a great chance to extend GFC’s lead but, that aside, it was a period of utter dominance from the home side, which saw the lead change hands through Brendan Matthew.

On 64min., he turned in Ken During’s header back across goal from a corner to get the equaliser their 20 minutes of pressure had warranted, before taking the lead on 73min.

This time, he cleverly flicked in a low cross into de Garis’ bottom corner from inside the area and it now looked as though GFC were battling just to keep themselves alive.

But, to their credit, they showed incredible character and were the better side for the remainder of the contest, equalising within a minute through Black.

Loaring slid into Glyn Dyer, the one man Egham seemingly could not get near in the later stages and he expertly flicked into the on-running Black, who made no mistake with a first-time angled side-footed finish past Henry.

Dyer was running the show now, but it was another GFC left-footer who could have won it at the death and saved the drama of extra-time.

In injury time, a Black free-kick was nodded down by Dom Heaume into the path of the advancing Ollie McKenzie some 15 yards out, but his bullet effort was deflected millimetres wide.

The resulting corner then saw Allen’s shot well saved by Henry, as the Egham goal lived a charmed life in those dramatic final seconds.

As it was, that only set it up for the Lions to prove their ability and fitness in style, although despite the attacking flair on offer, the decisive third goal came via an own goal on 99min., as Cochrane put the home defence under pressure at a corner.

Injuries were starting to take their toll, Jamie Dodd and Angus Mackay making way for Tom Strawbridge and Simon Geall, with Scott Bradford having already replaced Loaring.

It was Bradford who showed his creative class by supplying arguably the pass of the season in the last minute of the first period to dissect the Egham defence with a beautiful cross-field angled through ball that set Allen free.

He made no mistake, again getting the better of Henry with a calm finish into the far corner, bringing up his season’s half-century in an extra-time period in which he really came to life on a big scale.

That saw a 4-2 lead at the turnaround and despite Black being sent off for a second bookable offence after kicking the ball away, GFC never looked like surrendering their lead.

The icing was put on the cake with two minutes remaining, Dyer’s angled shot from range flying across Henry and into his bottom corner, another clinical finish.