An eight goal thriller across the Channel

Basingstoke Town's first trip to the Channel Islands will remain in the memories of their fans and players for years to come- but perhaps those memories will be mixed, as their side let slip a two goal advantage in the last thirteen minutes to come home with only one point.

It was the Green Lions who got themselves in front on eighteen minutes, Kieran Mahon with the opener- but they were ahead for only three minutes before Stefan Brown was given the chance to level from the spot, and took it. Eight minutes later the visitors were ahead for the first time, Conor Lynch running through the defence to finish- off the post- for his seventeenth of the season, and by the time we reached the break it was three-one- Brown getting his second of the match with a good shot on the turn.

After the break that man Ross Allen got into the act. The record goalscorer for the Green Lions has a rather incredible record of almost a goal a game, and he got his tenth of this season (in fourteen matches) nine minutes after the restart, to give the home fans, who unsurprisingly made up the vast majority of the seven hundred and seventy three present, hope.

With sixteen minutes remaining Lynch should have ended that hope, as he scored his second of the match, converting a cross and restoring Town's two goal advantage, making it four-two. The Green Lions were still roaring, however, and three minutes later Allen got another to make it three-four after a loose ball ran his way in the box. Could they? They could. With two minutes left Glenn Le Tissier, who had only been on the field for two minutes, headed home with his first touch to earn what had seemed an unlikely point.

Guernsey move off the bottom- and have six matches in hand of the sides around them- whilst Stoke move up to sixth, three points off a playoff spot.

Image courtesy of Basingstoke Town.

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.