Guildford City watched helplessly as Ben Rayner’s injury-time strike bounced back off the post to cap a frustrating and ultimately disappointing afternoon in the FA Vase at Lancing. The visitors were undone twice by Shaheen Sadough at either end of the match. Joel Greaves levelled the scores on his first start this season, but despite bossing the game throughout, City were unable to find a winner and suffered defeat when the hosts scored at the death.
Guildford found themselves a goal down after just ten minutes, Sadough firing home after the ball pinged around in the box from a corner. However, with City pressing forward time after time, it seemed only a matter of time until they found an equaliser. Ben Camara came closest in the first half, finding himself one-on-one with Di Bernando but dragging his shot agonisingly wide.
It was a similar story in the second half, with City dominating possession but not creating clear cut chances – most attacks dealt with comfortably by a strong Lancing defence. With the game heading into its closing stages and Guildford gradually turning the screw with some passing build-up, Greaves finally found space in the penalty area and slotted in to the far corner on 72 minutes. It seemed as if there would only be one winner from here, as the previously well-organised home defence disintegrated into panic, but the closest City came was when Jack Guilford’s rasping drive blazed just over the bar. They paid the price soon afterwards, a shaky clearance finding its way to Sadough who, despite hesitating as the ball clearly struck his arm, raced through to net the winner.
The game was from over and Ben Rayner had a golden chance to level, but saw his ten-yard shot rebound back off the upright and past the lunge of Dan Moody. In the end, Lancing progressed into the third round of the FA Vase after a hard-fought victory that on another day could easily have gone the other way.
Guildford City:
Antony Hall, Elvis Defreitas, Ben Rayner, Simon Cooper [capt], Tony Chaplin (Luke Bradnick 87), Tom Penson, Dan Moody, Ben Camara, Joel Greaves, Austin Gacheru (Jack Guilford 68), Jaydon Gibbs.
Unused substitutes: Corey Holder, Anthony Bridgeman, Michael Hall.
Cautions: Antony Hall, Elvis Defreitas, Tom Penson, Jaydon Gibbs, Jack Guilford
Referee: Steve Wade
Attendance: 156
