Stevenage Borough 0-1 Kingstonian
CHEATS NEVER PROSPER

A day that started in despair - Eddie Akuamoah had had a car crash on the way to Kingsmeadow, and the supporters' club coach was (allegedly) full up - ended in delight, with K's just two points off the top of the table having convincingly beaten the league leaders. The team was almost the same as the last few games, apart from Junior Kadi starting for the "just shaken up" Eddie.

The game started in the best possible way - with K's getting the ball in the net. Unfortunately, Phil Wingfield's effort was ruled out when the linesman flagged for offside - something that he did more often than in most games. Just afterwards K's went route one. A long kick out by Derek Allan bounced over the defence and saw Leworthy in with a chance. Chris Taylor backed off, but sadly the lobbed effort bounced just wide. But it was all good for the hearts of the 152 gathered behind the Stevenage goal.

Stevenage came close when Alford's free-kick was tipped over by the back-in-form Farrelly. But this was just a small break in the almost non-ending K's attacks. Harrison managed to slip over on the half way line and Geoff Pitcher found himself through on goal. Sadly his shot was fired across the goal and cleared the left hand post by a few feet. Patterson then played in Junior Kadi whose shot also just missed the post. It was all K's pressure up until this point, and they were proving that even league leaders are no match for themselves at this point in time.

David Leworthy, who was having another great game, came in for some totally undeserved punishment not long before the break when centre-half Trott clearly elbowed him in the head, but no foul was given. A sign of things to come..... Alford wasted another chance, which was created by Phil Wingfield oddly enough, but blasted very wide from a good position. Wingfield tried to make up for it just after, when he connected with a Colin Luckett cross, but his overhead kick did little more than cause amusement for the crowd.

Stevenage really should have taken the lead almost immediately after the break. A corner dropped to Kirby six yards out, but his volley was so weak that it actually managed to bounce before it fell into Farrelly's hands. But it was a warning that, although K's should have led, they didn't have the points yet. Love had the next chance when a ball deflected off Simon Stewart to the midfielder 12 yards out. Farrelly did superbly to race out from his goal and spread himself, making a very good save low to his left.

Perhaps heeding the warning, K's decided to regain the initiative by going on the attack themselves. Tarkan Mustafa played a one-two with Patterson, and the wing-back then crossed from the right. All of a sudden, the ball was at Pitcher's feet, about ten yards from goal right in the centre. The shot wasn't the best, but easily enough to beat Taylor in goal and K's had the lead. Although Stevenage had started this half well, K's fully deserved the lead. Now all they had to do was hang on to it.

Mustafa, clearly inspired by his part in the goal, thought that he had the ability to initiate a K's attack from the edge of his own box. Sadly he really isn't that good, and his attempt at controlling a high ball was almost laughable. "Almost" because it allowed Samuels a chance, which he wasted badly. Leworthy went close with a chest-and-volley after good work by Patterson, but Taylor was equal to the shot. Strouts then went close at the other end, but his volley cleared the post by a whisker.

Mustafa then went on to complete a mission that he had begun last week at Forest Green. Seven days ago, his poor pass saw Gary Patterson hobble off. Today, another outrageously hospital-esque pass saw Patterson go down holding his leg whilst the other players (from both sides) decided to enter into another fisty-cuffs session. There were similar scenes in the corresponding fixture last season and nobody really got hurt. Apart from Patterson of course, who must be waiting to meet Mustafa down a dark alley one day soon.....

The game had certainly taken a turn for the worse with fouls being committed, and missed by referee Mr. G.K.Hegley, all over the pitch. Howarth came close to equalising with a far post header, but all this did to K's was convince the management to make a change. Off came Junior Kadi, and on came Mark Harris, as K's switched to a 6-3-1 formation.

The most contentious moment of the game occurred just afterwards. A long ball was played to K's lone striker Leworthy, and he managed to get to the ball just ahead of Smith. A tussle came about, with most people feeling that K's deserved the free-kick, but with the referee disagreeing and awarding the home side the ball. The confrontation carried on after the whistle, with Leworthy rightly upset at the treatment that he was receiving, with no protection from the referee. A hand/fist did move towards the defender's head and Leworthy probably should have known better. A red card was the result and Leworthy stormed off in a huff. The defender, of course, escaped with not even a word.

With K's down to ten men for the last five minutes, Dwight Marshall came on for Phil Wingfield, as K's switched to a 6-2-1 formation. Nothing like having a balanced side. But that wasn't the end of the excitement. Or the cheating. A long injury time ball landed in the K's area, and Alford, Allan and Harris all went for the ball. The result was that Mark Harris' boot came into contact with Alford's nose - all on the ground - with blood spurting forth. The ball was cleared, and then played off for a Stevenage throw so that they could treat their wounded player.

Once the nose was plugged play started again. With the ball being thrown back to K's obviously. But no. Stevenage decided that, even though every other team in the world shows their sportsmanship in this way, they wouldn't bother. And the spineless referee decided that he would simply let them get away with a clear breach of the spirit of the game. But it didn't matter. K's held out until the end and were delighted to have taken all three points at the league leaders' home.

It would have been horrible if the scores had finished level, as K's had had so much of the game, and certainly deserved to beat their lesser opponents. Stevenage on the other hand should feel ashamed of their behaviour. Once they were one down they switched to "cheat" mode and almost came way with a point. That they didn't is down to K's resilience and pride. Pride - now there's a word that can't be associated with Stevenage very often.