Guernsey FC seal play-off place with impressive 8-1 win

Guernsey FC confirmed their place in the Southern Combination Premier Division play-offs after a 8-1 win over Forest Row at Victoria Park.

Will Fazakerley gave the Green Lions a 35th-minute lead after an even opening, pouncing when Fin Patterson's shot was saved.

Sam Murray took his tally to 32 goals for the season in first-half stoppage time as Guernsey went into the break 2-0 ahead having fired in after controlling a long ball.

Matty Feeney-Hill pulled a goal back for Forest Row six minutes into the second half following some good build-up play

But Guernsey quickly re-established control of the game - Callum Le Lacheur's floated cross found its way into the back of net off Forest Row defender Jaiden Chang four minutes later, and Ross Allen then came off the bench to make it 4-1.

The club's record goalscorer finished well after 64 minutes when Fazakerley had put him through on goal before Tom Vaudin made it 5-1 from a corner with 19 minutes left.

Ben Solway fired home with six minutes left after a good run up the right flank before long-serving Matt Loaring made it 7-1 with his first goal since coming back from almost a year out with injury.

Simon Arnold completed the rout in stoppage time as Guernsey scored eight goals in a game for the second time this season, having beaten Roffey 8-0 in November.

The win sees Guernsey consolidate third place in the division, and they cannot now be caught by sixth-placed Eastbourne United.

Should they finish in third place they would guarantee a home play-off semi-final as they aim to return to the ninth tier of English football after relegation last season.

"First half we had to really dig in actually," Guernsey manager Toyn Vance told BBC Radio Guernsey. "I thought they were strong and they had a right good go at us.

"We freshened the team up pretty much completely today because I wanted to play a very dynamic game and high tempo, and actually the opposition did that to us. We had to really dig in and I don't think we deserved to be 2-0 up, so we were quite lucky, we were clinical.

"Then second half I thought that we'd be able to really wind them down a little bit and work them and I think they were dead on their feet in the end. I thought the second half was really impressive.

"We could have scored a few more actually, so 8-1 was a great afternoon, and credit to the players, that's two games in three days plus travel."

Guernsey FC Women's two-game winning run came to an end as they lost 2-1 at Wimborne Town.

The islanders' captain Candice Bougourd put her side in front after 35 minutes with an excellent curling free-kick.

But the hosts equalised shortly before half-stime as Amiya Williams headed home.

The hosts won the game in the 82nd minute thanks to a Lucy Roberts goal.

The loss sees Guernsey drop to seventh place in Southern Region Women's Division One South with one more game to play away at second-bottom AFC Varsity on 19 April.