Ross Allen’s 19th minute free-kick evades the defensive wall and Staines Lammas keeper before burying itself in the net. (Picture by Andy Nunn, 1192568)

Staines Lammas 1, Guernsey FC 3
IF EVERY season has its defining moment, then it could just be that last night was the Green Lions’ one.

They produced their most masterful display yet to dispose of Staines Lammas on their home patch in front of a 200-plus crowd, about a quarter of which were Sarnians in exile.

Tony Vance’s men have turned in a number of barnstorming attacking displays at home this campaign, but none of those come close to the superb and mature manner in which they utterly dominated this encounter against arguably their toughest adversaries yet.

Kieran Mahon was immense and the star for the Green Lions in the centre of the park as he ran the game. But in truth there was not really a weak link throughout the 90 minutes, with these three points the most vital yet.

After some recent below-par performances, Vance would have demanded a response and he got it, as a message was sent around the region on a chilly autumn’s night.

And it was fitting that Mahon should get the decisive second goal, albeit with a mightily fortuitous deflection, as the Lions also had to make do with some hairy moments despite their undoubted superiority.

The home side’s Matt Baxter forced a sharp one-on-one save from the faultless Paul de Garis early on, while the GFC keeper also had to be alert to turn away a teasing cross.

But as the game began to settle, so did the visitors, and they were rewarded through their goal machine Ross Allen after 19 minutes, as he bagged the first of a set- piece brace, which takes his tally to 27 goals in 16 league and cup games.

It was Allen himself who was fouled on the edge of the area after some strong work by the other standout man, right-back Jacques Isabelle, and the GFC hitman dusted himself up to take the kick.

The sizeable visiting crowd were glad for that, as Allen curled in a beauty around the wall and into the near bottom corner, beating the stretching Dan Cox and opening the scoring.

And that strike proved the key to GFC’s dominance thereafter.

Some of their football in the aftermath was sublime to say the least, as they time and again ran their opponents ragged with the speed and vision on show.

That was no more evident than with the midfield three, with Angus Mackay and Alex Le Prevost also producing stellar efforts alongside Mahon, who doubled the lead moments after the half-hour mark.

His long-range, low curling strike was probably covered by Cox, but a wicked ricochet off a Staines leg dramatically changed the ball’s path and gave the home goalkeeper no chance.

Mahon had another curling effort blocked for a corner, while Allen was turned down what looked a blatant penalty after tumbling in the area, as the Lions looked to seal the game before the half-time break.

Staines proved they were not totally out of it as Chris Bullen fired wide after de Garis had done well to avert the initial danger, but in truth that was as close as they were to get to troubling the Green Lions for the remainder, bar their solitary strike.

And if the first period was about the visitors asserting their authority, the second saw them up their attacking play to another level. The final score really could have ended up at anything, with various clear-cut chances spurned.

The best fell to Luke Winch moments after the restart, as he blasted over from all of five yards after Allen’s initial effort across Cox had unfortunately come back off the inside of the far post.

Allen then found Cox’s side netting, while the Staines keeper was his nemesis soon after with a one-on-one stop following a delightful diagonal ball from Winch.

Dom Heaume was the next to trouble Cox with a bullet downward header that forced the save of the match near the bottom corner, and Staines’ keeper again proved his worth in another head-to-head battle, yet again denying the tireless and creative Allen.

But like any great goalscorer, Allen was not to be denied for long and the clinching third goal came after 67min, with Allen going down under the challenge of Dean Greenwood, a spot kick the result.

Allen sent Cox the wrong way and found the top corner, the Lions having raced into a 3-0 lead for the second away match running.

However, they were to again make it slightly more difficult for themselves.

Gary James was brought down by Jamie Dodd less than two minutes later and the penalty count evened itself out as a result.

De Garis went the right way for substitute George Baldock’s low effort, but the ball just found the bottom corner, giving Staines a glimmer of hope.

But that was to become nothing more as it was GFC who dominated the closing stages, Allen coming close again, while Winch hit the crossbar with an impressive curling effort.

The clock was run down effectively without any alarm and the final whistle brought about an 11-point lead for the Lions at the top of the table, with another vital clash at second-placed Bedfont Sports next up.

But after producing their coup de grace at their toughest assignment yet, GFC will go into that full of confidence, as their status as title favourites is enhanced.