Our lads got the points they needed to ensure safety and another season in National Three, but as the final whistle went on a windy and distinctly chilly Footes Lane, we said goodbye to Nick Barton.

No sooner had the final whistle gone, coach Jordan Reynolds made it known that Barton, such a fantastic servant for the club over so many years when he has consistently played through injuries, was to retire forthwith.

‘We have tried to keep it quiet,’ said the coach after a game which saw us guarantee 10th place in the table.

But for the five-point deduction back in the autumn, it would have been ninth.

Results elsewhere were surprising to say the least and meant that on top of the already doomed CS Rugby 1863, Tring and Amersham & Chiltern get relegated.

Despite Tring winning at home to Tonbridge Juddian, Westcliff preserved their status on points difference with an 8-7 win - few saw that coming - over Barnes.

But at Footes Lane Guernsey thrillingly secured the full five points and romped to a 42-28 win.

But it was far, far from easy and there was a period early in the second half when things looked decidedly dodgy.

We were home and try from the moment Luke Sayer dived over for the fourth try in the 64th minute to secure a bonus point.

But until then it has proved a very nervy hour as a very decent, big and committed Westcombe Park side arrived.

Westcombe 2nds had earlier thumped a thoroughly depleted local second string 69-0 and from the first whistle the visitors were on the front foot.

The game would ultimately produce 10 tries, but it took fully 20 minutes for the first arrive and it came via the Guernsey skipper Blair Campbell.

On a difficult day for dead ball kicking from out wide, Glen Walters' conversion attempt fell short and wide.

It did not take long for Westcombe to make their own mark and it came via an errant pass by scrum half of Malcolm Barnes - you don’t see many of them.

The opposition scrum half Tommy Gray intervened and raced 80 meters unchallenged to score. Reynolds converted and Guernsey were worryingly behind.

Then we got our own breakaway score.

Campbell ended a Westcombe attack with a crunching tackle, the ball bounced loose and away went recalled veteran Andy Bailey, who showed he still has a decent turn of pace by staying clear and diving spectacularly underneath the posts, making the extras easy for Walters who soon after also added a testing penalty from 35m and the home side led 15-7 at half-time.

The smiles in the crowd were soon to be replaced by frowns.

Westcombe returned to the pitch and within a couple of minutes their No. 3 had bulldozed over.

Reynolds converted and the lead was down to one.

Meanwhile, news from elsewhere was that not only were Tring winning, but against all odds, so too were Westcliff against title chasing Barnes, who would have to settle for second place behind Bury St Edmunds.

At that point Sayer stamped his brilliance on the game.

A tap penalty and jinking 50m run took Guernsey deep into the Westcombe half.

Briefly, the attack was blunted, but then Sayer got it going a second time and as the ball was eased left the splendid Ned Brown dived over in the corner for a 20-14 lead.

Even if Guernsey were to be beaten, one more try for a bonus point would be enough.

But Westcombe came again.

Another forwards try from second rower Dale Bellmer converted by Reynolds, put them 21-20 ahead and although Walters slotted a fine penalty to make it 23-21, the Westcombe big boys shoved the home pack 25m in a rolling maul and as the ball was moved out The big No. 8 went over for a score converted by Reynolds.

Guernsey were worried, 23-28 down, but then the backs brilliance which changed things.

Walters slipped a lovely short pass to Sayer and his converted score not only put Guernsey ahead but threw off the shackles of nervousness and in the final 15 minutes Sayer scored again and two late scores by winger Dave Davison produced a champagne finish.

Teams:

Guernsey: Sawene, Ceillam, L. Batiste, hillier, Merrien, Thomas, Le Cocq, N. Barton; Barnes, Walters, Davison, Campbell, Brown, Bailey, Sayer

Westcombe Park: Poole, H. Barton, L. Bellmer, D. Bellmer, Paddick, Covington, Arvier; Gray, Reynolds, Penney, Hough, Hennah, Leeper, Nattrass. Replacements: Conlon, Lewis, Birch.

JUNIOR SIAM DAY

A long and tiring day, too much of it spent on the bubbling high seas between the two islands, and our Academy sides returned from the sister isle having picked up few wins.

Our solitary success came with the under-11s who won the two matches at that level on aggregate.

The under-13s, too, came away with a 33-33 draw and the under-8s and under-9s were also quite even, but at the top end of the age-groups Jersey dominated perhaps too much for our liking.

Our Sussex League winning Colts side ran up against a very strong set of opponents and went down 38-12, while the under-16s were well beaten 61-0.

The under-15s, who won last year as under-14s, were shaded on this occasion 22-5.

Look out for Wednesday’s Guernsey Press edition of Halftime which is devoted totally to the Junior Siam day.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to the following players who have been selected in the Hampshire county representative team for this season:

Cameron Craine
Tom Ceillam
Lewis Hillier
Matt Thomas
Robin Le Cocq
Glen Walters
Blair Campbell
Matt Hema

Ned Brown and Nick Merrien are on standby for the squad to cover injuries.

Hampshire play Middlesex on 9 May and Dorset on 16 May.