Kingstonian 1-0 Aylesbury United
DUCKS DEFLATED

Funny old night for football Thursday, but K's seemed at ease winning for the first time at Kingsmeadow since March 8. Wasn't our last Thursday evening league game at a deserted Chester when our Conference career was tossed into the dumper? A happier night was when we beat Carshalton on a Thursday evening in a pre-season friendly, I must get out more. I was born on a Thursday and Thursday's child has far to go, an hour's bus journey from Northwood to Chesham last month for example, still I'm digressing.

Anyway there was an edge to the night because the Ducks were still not clear of the drop zone. They were certainly in a determined mood with some effective approach work but were jigsaw, falling apart in the box. Kim Harris re-jigged the K's giving sub keeper Adrian Jones a rare game and he confidently mopped up everything a strong K's backline couldn't handle. Skipper Tim Sills took control of a half-chance and curled a scorching drive round Lee Worgan for the high point of the night. Sills and Grant Payne are building an impressive partnership, let's hope off-field activities allow the relationship to flourish.

We learnt from the evening's matchday souvenir brochure that Brian Rix had died which I'm sure will be a surprise to him if he ever has the good fortune to read our programme notes. You may remember him as Dickie Dreadnought in the 1960 film "And The Same To You". Younger K's fans might not know but he was a master of farce, England's answer to Georges Feydeau. If you dont know what a farce is ask anyone down at Gander Green Lane. I saw Michael Medwin and Brian Rix in a farce once and yes it did revolve around a cuckolded husband whose trousers kept falling down, a straight-laced vicar and someone French in suspenders, Gander Green Lane again. Oo la la.

There was nothing funny about the early Ducks pressure for those of a hooped disposition, wearing suspenders or not. Striker Kezie Ibe seemed to be the main culprit and on 5 minutes was unlucky at full-stretch to toepoke a cross wide. On 12 minutes Richard Gell broke through but sliced his drive wide from the edge of the K's box. On 14 minutes Barnsby did a Toblerone header and set free Ibe down the middle of the park but he tried to place his drive around the outcoming Jones and got it all wrong.

The K's replied on 20 minutes when a cheeky Sills backflick saw Payne set Dave Clarke free down the right but Worgan punched the cross clear from the predatory Sills. A minute later an Adam Campion free-kick from the right was directed just wide again by Ibe. The Ducks striker then picked up an injury on a bone-hard playing surface and came off. A period of Aylesbury re-organization saw the K's strike without mercy.

On the half-hour a long ball upfield saw Payne try to find his partner, a defender stumbled so TIM SILLS just inside the Ducks box let one loose and fired past Worgan at full-stretch. K's tried to press home the advantage, a Pinnock free-kick was scrambled away and he also volleyed over a Sills knock on from a long Clarke throw. Deep into injury time a massive scramble in the K's goalmouth saw Barnsby to the rescue.

Aylesbury started the second half like the first, intent on finding the onion bag. On 49 minutes a Joe Baker cross from the right saw Roni Joe rise on the far post and head down but fortunately straight at Jones. Then on 50 minutes Sills was set up by Payne on the edge of the Ducks box. Sills belted in a drive that was pushed round the post by an alert and full-stretch Worgan. On 55 minutes an Alex Stanley corner was sliced over the bar by Barnsby. Then a Baker free-kick was well held by Jones.

On the hour another long distance effort from skipper Greg Williams through a forest of legs was well held by Jones on his line. Craig Maskell and Gell had efforts which were both wide. On 76 minutes a Bashiru Alimi deflected cross from the left was well held by Worgan. With 10 minutes to go Pinnock picked out Sills but he could only head over. Aylesbury sub Adam Campion sent in consecutive corners and the second was headed clear by a diving Barnsby. Then with four minutes to go Jones earned his corn when a cross from the impressive Campion out on right found an unmarked Baker on the far post but Jones got down quickly to bravely block.

From then on K's kept possession until the final whistle. A Sills header set sub Phil Wingfield free down the middle of the park but Daniel Gordon did extremely well to race back and whip the ball of the legend's boot. Then a thre'penny bit header from Stanley set Sills free to charge down the middle of the park but Worgan read it well and raced out of his box to clear. K's had taken the first leg, all eyes now looked towards Buckinghamshire.