Kingstonian 1-2 Cheltenham Town
KFC EATON BY CHELTENHAM

Kingstonian lost to a better team today despite a comeback which allowed them to worry the visitors and keep the crowd hanging on until the final minute. K's fielded a full strength team against a strong Town side who had Chapple old-boy Clive Walker playing for them.

Cheltenahm started the brighter of the two teams, though early on neither side looked likely to break through. Jerome John, in only his third match this season was tested from an early corner, but was able to deal with it, and K's were soon attacking when Patterson floated a ball to Corbett which was just intercepted by visiting 'keeper Steve Book. After the first quarter of an hour, K's found their stride and David Leworthy went close on a couple of occasions, one with a lob, and one with a curled shot, but there was nothing really to worry the mass of Cheltenham fans behind the goal.

K's best chance of the early part of the game came when Scott Corbett mad a brave challenge in his own half and brought the ball forward, linking with Eddie Akuamouah, who returned the favour playing the ball into the midfielder's stride. Unfortuantely, he over-ran the ball and Book was able to pick up the pieces. Both wing backs, Tarkan Mustafa and Colin Luckett, were playing well in defence and also on their flanks setting up attacking play. This helped K's have a period of sustained pressure. David Leworthy turned provider when he beat Mark Freeman on the left crossing to Corbett, but only getting a corner for his efforts, and Eddie had a great run which saw him beat a defender in the area but was knocked over in a 'fair' challenge.

K's were definately having the better of the play at this time. Eddie Akuamoah made a typically surging run on the right, before cutting in and spraying the ball to Pitcher who delivered to David Leworthy who headed just over the bar. Geoff Pitcher had his own chance from a free-kick for a foul on Akuamoah just out-side of the area. He hit his curled shot well but it went down the goalie's throat and all danger was over for a while.

Perhaps the brief spell of domination made K's lose concentration at the back as soon after this Jerome John fumbled a simple collection and did very well to dive at the feet of Jason Eaton to make up for his mistake despite the visiting supporters' appeals for a penalty. Cheltenham however, took the lead when Mark Freeman rose well at the back post from a cross on Jerome. Although K's fans were appealing for a foul on the 'keeper, nothing other than a goal to Cheltenham was awarded as the centre-backs header ripppled the back of the net.

K's went straight on the attack after this. Colin Luckett supplied a good ball to Harris, and Pitcher delivered well to Stewart but both headers were too weak to do any damage.

Patterson's disciplinary problem increased when he commited a (typcial) foul on the left. His determination was not appreciated by the visiting mid-fielder who hit him back and Patterson then retaliated. Both players were booked for their actions in this mini fracas.

The second half went on as the first had finished. K's looked promising but a bit untidy when it came to delivering that telling pass. A typical example was when a fine ball from Mustafa gave Corbett a chance, but his shot was just too weak.

In the 56th minute a K's attack broke down when Patterson lost posession on the left. Mike Duff took the ball out of the defence on an amazing run where seemingly no hooped player could put in a challenge. He delivered a perfect ball to Jason Eaton who picked it up about ten yards from goal and gave Jerome John no chance to stop it.

With K's 2-0 down, and defender Simon Stewart slightly injured, Gavin Holligan was given a half-an-hour run to show his worth. He played well once he had come on, linking very well with Eddie, was powerful and surprisingly good in the air. Colin Luckett and Eddie Akuamoah were performing wonders on the left, but with only Dave Leworthy to give the ball to, most of these attacks fizzled out, and Mike Duff at right back was playing exceptionally well for the visitors. But K's were gifted a chance to get back in the game on 64 minutes when a right wing corner was flighted towards Crossley at the back pitch. A rather innocuous challenge by Freeman on the skipper was adjudged by referee Mr. L. C. Jones to warrant a penalty. With Tuesday night's penalty miss very much on his mind, Colin Luckett stepped up and fired the ball in exactly the same place to give K's a hope, much to his obvious delight.

This goal gave the Kingston faithful the cue to encourage their team further, and the team thus responded and stepped up a gear. Holligan fed a neat ball through to Eddie, courtesy of a Pitcher dummy, Corbett had an attempted overhaead kick blocked, and Leworthy failed to convert Corbett's cross. However, Cheltenham were still dangerous, most notably through David Norton's classy curled attempt. Soon after this, Leworthy was booked for an appalling challenge as it seemed that he was tiring.

Another period of sustained K's pressure was underway. Pitcher put his attemopt high and wide from a short distance out, Leworthy had a shot which struck a defender's arm, and following a foul on Holligan, Luckett delivered a great ball to Harris which he headed just "a rizzla paper's width" over the bar. Cheltenham's most forceable reply was from a Jamie Victory shot which Jerome did excellently to get down to and smother up. This then led to a bit of argy-bargy on the goal line, which the referee soon brought to a halt, with Norton the only one to receive a caution.

Just before the end, a series of corners troubled Cheltenham. Book fumbled the ball forcing Banks to put it over for another corner from which Crossley got up well, and another corner was awarded. This typified K's for much of the game. A good amount of pressure which just couldn't be converted into the goals that on other days would have been scored. The referee blew up for full-time as K's were on the attack again, as a frustrated K's side conceded defeat to a better team.