Kingstonian 2-1 Bournemouth
FRIENDLY? WHAT'S THAT? SOMEONE 'IT 'IM!

Photo: kingstonian.net

The second pre-season friendly of the season was played out in front of another low attendance at Kingsmeadow, but those present saw some signs that the season ahead may be an interesting one. Bournemouth brought with them all but one of their first team squad, and started with the majority of those. Kingstonian also started with what is probably the first-choice eleven, with new signing Danny Bolt stepping up from Saturday's "second half" team.

K's started by far the better of the teams, and could have been ahead after just eight minutes. A long ball was met by Bournemouth's Neil Young (now there's a name) whose backpass was woefully short. James Pinnock nipped in but saw his shot from the edge of the box saved low down by Michael Menetrier. The follow-up came from David Ocquaye but the shot went wide.

Yet they were ahead just ten minutes later. A long ball found Pinnock on the right, he pushed Stephen Purches to the ground and skipped around his prone body and then cut the ball back to Dave Clarke. His shot from twelve yards out easily beat Menetrier and it was one-nil.

Danny Bolt came close to opening his account when good play from himself and Clarke on the right created a chance for the new-boy. The shot was from the edge of the box and the goalkeeper did well to turn the ball aside.

Photo: kingstonian.net

As if K's weren't doing well enough on their own, Bournemouth almost doubled their lead. A good spell of pressure saw a Mark Beard cross turned away by Warren Feeney before another cross saw the same defender compete with Ocquaye and head the ball at his own goal. Thankfully for the seasiders, Menetrier was alert enough to save.

Peter Barsnby saw a chance of his saved just before the break, but at the whistle it was the red and white shirted ones who could leave the field the happiest. Handshakes were exchanged as the eleven K's trooped off at the end of a hard day's work and the next eleven stepped up for their chance.

Just as on Saturday, when an early mistake by the Kingstonian goalkeeper allowed the visitors to score, an early mistake by the Kingstonian goalkeeper allowed the visitors to score. Amos Foyewa crossed from the right, Liam Jones couldn't hold on to the ball and it spun out to Chukki Eribenne. His task of scoring in the empty net was an easy one, and he did.

Photo: kingstonian.net

Ronnie Green almost restored the lead when he latched on to a long ball, but again Menetrier was there. And then there was a big fight! Foyewa and Mark Boyce were chasing for a ball on the K's right when Boyce fell to the ground, and Foyewa tried to help him up by kicking him in the head. More damage was done when most of the rest of the players (not including the 20 or so substitutes - thank God) piled in. After much pushing and shoving the result was, somewhat bizarrely, a free-kick to Bournemouth. Boyce shook his head (but then he was probably still a bit groggy).

Yet he got his revenge within minutes. Boyce crossed from the right, the ball ended up at the edge of the box, Steve Barnes hit a shot which was deflected to Ronnie Green who made no mistake from eight yards out.

There were two more chances late-on. Ronnie Green had the first for K's, and when his shot was saved by Menetrier the ball amusingly deflected straight into Young's head and bounced across goal. Then, in injury time, Foyewa (boooooooo) headed a cross wide when stood free at the far post.

And so a win for Kingstonian. And against a league team at that. Of course the fact that it was a friendly means that not that much can be read into the result, but the signs were most certainly good - from both half's teams. Long may this un-beaten run continue.