Kingstonian 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
FOILED THE ROVERS

Kingstonian narrowly beat ex-league side Doncaster Rovers who boasted Neville Southall, Ian Snodin, Tommy Wright and John Sheridan in their team. K's had new player Tarkan Mustafa, signed from Barnet, playing in Danny Smith's position, and Wayne Brown deputised for the injured Matt Crossley (thigh strain) - missing his first league game since he joined the K's, and handed the captaincy to David Leworthy.

Kingstonian started the stronger of the teams. In the opening minutes, Eddie and Joe Francis connected well up front, and in a seperate move Luckett's ball to Eddie caused problems for the visitors, eventually the ball spilled out to Gary Patterson whose shot went wayward. Soon after, a Pitcher ball was cleverly flicked on by Francis but was just too high for David Leworthy to control at the far post. A penalty claim was made by the K's when Eddie fell in the area from a Leworthy pass, but it was not given, nor should it have been.

But it was not all one way traffic. Scott Barrett, still deputising for Jerome John, performed the first of his heroics, but K's were soon on the attack again, mainly through Eddie Akuamoah, and from a neat one-two between him and Pitcher, and Patterson had a good chance. Mark 'Chopper' Harris was just inches away from connecting with a Pitcher free-kick but it was not to be.

New-boy Tarkan Mustafa looked solid in defence and on a few occasions made promising runs on the right, and the K's mid-field were gutsy in today's scrap, Patterson and Pitcher both getting heavily involved, and they needed to, as Doncaster were always looking to attack the Athletics track end, towards their travelling support, and towards the end of the first half K's were severly under pressure. Dino Maamria went close but play was pulled back and Doncaster were awarded a free-kick from which John Sheridan rattled the bar, the ball powered against the top side as it flew safely over. Barrett was again called upon as the half drew to a close, and although the defence today looked a bit shaky, it was effective. David Ponney had a shot for the visitors which was bouncing around in the box before Pitcher hooked it clear. As the half drew to a close Kingstonian were by far the happier team to go in with scores level.

The second half started as the first had ended. Eddie did well taking on and beating Ian Snodin, but Doncaster went closest as David Ponney flicked on a ball which Scott Barrett did brilliantly to stop, diving to his right at full stretch. As the fans began to get slightly more vociferous, the temperature on the pitch also increased. David Leworthy was unlucky not to connect with a Geoff Pitcher free-kick, but soon after Joe Francis was booked as he kicked the ball at an injured Doncaster player who was lying helplessly at the side of the pitch.

Doncaster again looked the most likely to score. Simon Shaw had a shot which again hit the bar, and soon after went on a run which Barrett did well to come out and bring to a halt.

The opening goal came on 65 minutes through a neat piece of football. Geoff Pitcher, who had been playing well all day in midfield, did well to win the ball and gave it to Patterson, who in turn sprayed it to Luckett on the left. Luckett toyed with the full back before turning him inside out with a brilliantly executed Cruyff turn, and floated the ball to the far post from which Mustafa converted.

Gavin Holligan came on with twenty minutes to go, as Leworthy was beginning to tire, and for the first time, was given a real chance to prove himself. Doncaster had also made an important substitution, with Jason Minnett joining the field of play, and immediately had a good shot turned away by Barrett. But in the 80th minute 'Donny' drew level through a goal which was more due to a defensive mix-up than any great Doncaster play. Mark Harris was trying to shepherd the ball back to Barrett, and not wanting to back-pass was waiting for Barrett to come out. But the 'keeper was waiting for Harris to clear away or provide a decisive touch, but with Minett on Harris' shoulder, this hesitation was punished as the substiture nipped in and gave Doncaster a desrved equaliser.

But Holligan was not to be out-done in the competition for the title of 'super-sub' and did brilliantly to take on a Doncaster defender and then prevent the ball from going over the by-line, and picking out Pitcher with a beautiful ball, which the mid-fielder had saved from Southall who turned the ball over the bar.

Gavin, clearly fired up for this game, commited a horrendous foul as he charged into a Doncaster defender, and was lucky that Mr. J. Petit, thought a booking was just punishment. It was lucky for K's too, as in the 90th minute Holligan was put through, and despite being pulled back, brilliantly put the ball past Southall, and after an agonising wait, saw it creep inside the left upright, much to the delight of the second largest crowd of the day. In injury time Eddie was put through, but was adjuged to have been off-side when many would argue that he wasn't. But this was all trivial as the game was brought to an end with Kingstonian the victors by the narrowest of margins.