Bookham 2, Guernsey FC 3
SEEMINGLY cruising to three more points for the majority of Saturday afternoon, Guernsey FC were very nearly undone by the ultimate smash and grab raid at Bookham.

Fortunately for the Green Lions, their three-goal half-time cushion was just enough to avert a gutsy final 10-minute period from the home side, when they genuinely threatened the impossible.

But in the cold light of day, this was three more points won by the table-topping Lions on the back of an encouraging performance for the game’s first hour.

Impressively, Tony Vance’s men have now reached 50 league goals for the season, in just their 13th game.

After losing out for the first time competitively a week ago, Vance would have demanded an immediate response and he got it, with a lead on the quarter-hour mark.

The lively Luke Winch intercepted a wayward Bookham pass in dangerous territory, running at pace down the left flank and squaring across the box.

Ross Allen unselfishly and excellently let the ball run into the path of the advancing Joe Alvarez, with the teenager emphatically beating Daniel Kennard for his maiden GFC goal.

And on a frustratingly poor pitch that did not allow top-notch football to be played by either side, that opener was crucial, with the visitors coming close to doubling it soon after.

Sam Cochrane headed wastefully over despite making space for himself from a teasing corner, while a great cross by Simon Geall could not quite set up Jacques Isabelle at the back post.

Bookham’s young striker Louis Chin was the only man with an effort of note for the home side in those stages, his shot comfortably saved by Chris Tardif.

The GFC side grabbed the second on 35 minutes.

Geall’s pass into Winch saw the youngster with his back to goal some 40 yards out, but he superbly spun his marker, before beating a series of players with quick feet.

His effort from 25 yards was not the greatest and looked to be a comfortable save for Kennard, but the keeper blundered and parried the ball backwards into his own net.

To their credit, Bookham did not give up and came close when Chin’s effort was well blocked from close range, although that only led to a blisteringly quick counter-attack from GFC.

Allen was the man clean through on Kennard, but this time the prolific striker’s low effort found its match with the stopper’s outstretched foot.

It did not matter for long, though, as the excellent Cochrane (pictured) looked to have sealed the match in the dying seconds of the half, making up for his earlier miss with his third goal of the season.

Jason Winch’s low corner was missed by Allen at the near post, but it was the skipper who stooped lowest to steer his header into the empty net and seemingly wrap up the three points.

And the beginning of the second half gave no prior indication as to the late drama, with the Lions coming out the blocks quicker again.

Allen twisted and turned his marker inside and out before firing a thunderous left-footed effort against the near post from a tight angle, while Jason Winch’s dipping effort also forced a fine save from Kennard.

But the visiting midfield began to lose its overwhelming influence on the game, not helped by the pitch or the regularity of referee Brian Fish in awarding questionable home free-kicks for seemingly innocuous offences.

And the pitch nearly played a part when a harmless cross hit a divot, bounced alarmingly onto Tardif’s shoulder and thankfully went out for a corner, via the crossbar.

The faultless Tardif had to be alert once again to punch away Ashley Thompson’s ball in under pressure, while Allen had a shot cleared off the line at the other end.

Allen would soon be forced to depart the action with an ankle knock that would harm GFC’s shape and formation more than they could have expected, but not before Tardif was called upon again in style.

Chin’s curling effort was bound for the top corner, until the ex-professional keeper somehow kept it out with a sprawling one-handed save for a corner, although the danger was not over.

Cochrane headed back towards his own goal under pressure, with Tardif punching away, before Charlie West could only turn Chin’s low cross against Tardif from all of five yards.

But despite that increasing pressure, Luke Winch very nearly sealed the game on two separate occasions, as he took it upon himself in Allen’s absence to try and grab the fourth.

Firstly, his stinging volley could only find the crossbar from 15 yards, before he nearly made the improbable a reality from just over the halfway line.

With the ball sitting up nicely and Kennard off his line, the teenager’s up-and-down effort from 45 yards was only just kept out by the retreating Bookham keeper.

But within 60 seconds of that save, Bookham were back in it and opened up the possibility of a memorable comeback.

A free-kick pumped forward found David Fuller, who was able to turn his header over the helpless Tardif from close range and set up a frantic ending.

In fairness, GFC generally defended well during that period, averting the danger, until substitute Nick Kemble made it 3-2 in the last minute of normal time.

A low corner in was not dealt with at all well at the near post and Kemble’s poked effort towards goal found its destination, despite Chris Mauger’s desperate last-ditch attempted clearance.

And nerves became increasingly frayed when Fish bizarrely added on nearly seven minutes to the allotted 90, despite there being no injuries or stoppages of note to speak of.

The equaliser could have come when yet another free-kick nearly dropped into goalscoring range, but Tardif was on hand to jump on the ball and smother the danger.

Fish did finally blow his whistle after what seemed like an eternity for the sizeable GFC crowd and buoyed by news of Bedfont Sports’ slip-up, made for a satisfying day for the Lions, albeit an unlikely nerve-shredding one.