Guernsey FC: Visitors hang on for the win while Loaring makes his 400th appearance

Monday 04 November 2024

Fine margins often decide matches.

And so it was again that Guernsey FC found themselves on the wrong end of the scoresheet, this time against Hayes & Yeading, when they should have come away from Footes Lane with points on the board.

It meant a bittersweet occasion, with Matt Loaring celebrating his 400th appearance for the club, hailed by manager Tony Vance  afterwards for the example he is setting.

A stunner from Owen Wallbridge put the Green Lions in front on the half-hour, but they were pegged back by an Adrian Clifton penalty just before half-time.

They fell behind seven minutes into the second half from what looked like a mishit cross from Kaylen Hinds. 

GFC had their chances to score again, but could not make them count.

Speaking to the club’s media team afterwards, Vance said that they were at least a match for Hayes, who sit in sixth place.

“That's another team that we're really close to in terms of what the differences are,” said Vance.

“And ultimately, there were two mistakes.”

While people might focus on the errors immediately preceding a goal, work also needs to be done on nullifying what is happening in the build up to those situations.

“I think anyone that understands football will see we've come a million miles over the last two years, even last year, you know, we're playing so well. There's little bits that are still sneaking in there that unfortunately is becoming a goal. And so that's a couple of mistakes that have been forced upon us, perhaps, but also we've contributed to those phases of play that have ended up with the emergency error.”

Loaring’s journey with GFC has been remarkable, from someone sitting on the bench early in his spell with the club to someone that cannot be left off the teamsheet.

“He spent a long, long time on the bench, getting snippets here and there and I always use Matt as an example to the youngsters that come in,” said Vance.

“Most of them are respectful, some of them think they've got a divine right to play. And you know, you have to do the hard yards. And Matt's done more than the hard yards, he's done a hard mile, to be fair. 

“He's had to reinvent himself, he's had to play numerous positions. He's missed out when he probably hasn't been playing that well, or maybe was not quite fit enough. But he's also missed out when he didn't deserve to, and the manager was making bad choices. And you know what I really liked about Matt was that he came back fighting.”

GFC remain second from bottom in Isthmian South Central, five points clear of safety.