Red Hot Tooting Keep Firing With Another Six In Guernsey

Unfazed by the journey, in-form Tooting demolished a poor Guernsey with a clinical first half performance which saw them rack up their 8th consecutive league victory and become the first Tooting side not to be defeated at Footes Lane. In doing so they also created two unenviable records for Guernsey in inflicting the heaviest ever home defeat on the Channel Islanders as well as becoming the highest ever scoring away side to visit Footes Lane.

The First opportunity of the game fell the way of the Terrors when following a run down the right hand side in the 4th minute, Danny Bassett played the ball across the edge of the 6 yard box from where Mike Dixon just failed to make contact and the ball ran to safety. The Terrors went in front though on 10 minutes when Chace O’Neill shot them into the lead following what was described by the Guernsey TV commentary team as a “goalkeeping error” as he had a shot from distance that Josh Addison allowed to go through his outstretched arms, bouncing down off the crossbar on its way in. Four minutes later, Billy Dunn looked to double the Terrors lead when he broke into the right hand side of the penalty area but dragged his shot just wide. The lead was doubled though on 21 minutes when Chace O’Neill won the ball in midfield. He fed the ball out wide to Peter Wedgeworth on the left who made a great run down the flank before sending in a cross which found Mike Dixon just on the edge of the box. Dixon worked some space for himself and shot left footed into the bottom corner to put Tooting two goals up.

The lead was further extended in the 40th minute when Claudio Hoban made a great run down the left hand side. He floated in a deep high cross across the face of the 6 yard box where it was met by Billy Dunn who smashed a right footed volley past Addison in the Guernsey goal and into the back of the net. There was still more to come in the first half from the Terrors though as in the final minute of the period Mike Dixon found himself in possession just on the edge of the box, ran in on goal and slotted the ball past Addison to make it four.

Guernsey started the second half a little more purposefully but still had very little to offer by way of threat to the Tooting defence. On 53 minutes, Guernsey lost possession of the ball to Billy Dunn from a free kick deep inside their own half. Dunn made room for himself and fired a right footed shot high into the net from just inside the penalty area. Midway through the period Manager Frank Wilson made a double substitution which saw Tenny Adebowale making his first competitive appearance since August, replacing Peter Wedgeworth and Ollie Bennett came on in place of Billy Dunn.

Tooting continued to control the game but couldn’t add to their score until the 89th minute when Mike Dixon broke clear, poking the ball round the advancing ‘keeper, before slotting it into an empty net to complete his hat trick and make the scoreline 6-0.

#Guernsey #TootingAndMitcham