Guernsey FC boss Tony Vance 'take responsibility' for Thatcham Town loss

Guernsey FC are third-from-bottom of isthmian League South Central with three points from seven games

Guernsey FC manager Tony Vance says his decision to play an expansive style of football contributed to their 4-1 loss at Thatcham Town.

David Nyarko and Harry Hoath scored for the hosts in a two-minute spell before Sam Murray pulled one back shortly before the half-time break.

But Muhamadou Ceesay and Christian Johnson secured Thatcham's win to leave Guernsey in the relegation zone.

The loss was their sixth in a row in seven league games.

"We've had a common chat at the start of the season in wanting to play how we used to play and the style of play we adopted very early on in Guernsey, and that's the type of style everyone wants to see," Vance told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"But it's also a very risky game and when it doesn't go right, you get punished.

"I've said to players 'learn from it', but I'll take responsibility because ultimately what we've decided to do is over the first third of the season is try and be like that, develop our game.

"It's a journey that we're working on for the next couple of years, so we're going to take some harsh lessons here and there and we got one today.

"If that was a coaching session we could stop it every 10 or 15 minutes and say this, this and this, but in a match when it goes wrong, and it did, you could get punished and we did get punished."

Despite the difficult start to the season - which apart from an opening-day win over Westfield has seen Guernsey lose every game and score just three goals - Vance still feels his young side will improve and has what it takes to continue in Isthmian League South Central.

"They wanted to win it in a nice way, not a scrap, but there'll be times where it might be after Christmas we have to start scrapping," he added.

"We did that last year and picked up loads of points and got ourselves to safety, so we've always got that second opportunity, but we'll worry about that in December or January, I'm not fussed really at the moment.

"We'll see this through at the moment and hope that we'll improve, because when it comes off it'll be good."