Bishop's Stortford 2-2 Kingstonian
WINGFIELD LIFTS THE GLOOM

Steve Sedgley's team travelled to Woodside Park to challenge a team some fourteen places below them in the league, and following on from a hugely impressive five-one home victory just a few days before. The only change to the side was the enforced replacement of Matt Flitter with Peter Barnsby. Meanwhile Bishop's Stortford were looking to avenge their three-one defeat at Kingsmeadow of four weeks ago.

K's started in exactly the same vein as they finished Tuesday night's encounter - playing some fine flowing football, except this time it was somewhat easier on a fantastic playing surface. A couple of early chances came and went - most notably when Dave Clarke played in James Pinnock only for Micky Desborough to deny the midfielder-cum-striker.

Just four minutes had gone when K's managed to get the ball into the net, but the linesman's flag ruled out what would have been a memorable Mark Jones goal. Liam Collins had played in Pinnock on the right, Jones headed against the upright, but as he turned the rebound in the defence relaxed as they saw the flag.

The tide started to turn once the ten minute mark had come and gone, with Martin Hayes being denied when Barnsby cut out a left wing cross from Trevor Paul. Lance Key had decided to go out and face Hayes, which would have left Paul with an empty net had it not been for Barnsby's intervention.

Photo: kingstonian.net

However nobody was able to help the K's keeper just afterwards. An attack down the Stortford left saw Glen Southam played in some twenty yards from goal. His effort went straight at Key, but the keeper spilled the shot allowing Paul to tap in from six yards. The goalkeeper went part way to redeeming himself within a minute when, from the restart, Barnsby slipped to allow Paul a run and shot which was well saved.

K's were by now certainly on the back foot and with Southam firing an easy chance over they were lucky not to be more than the one goal behind. But the expected fight-back began. Tim Sills got a chance after Clarke and Pinnock had taken a free-kick quickly, but the striker's effort was just wide of Desborough's left-hand up-right from the edge of the area.

As the break approached, so the fog descended. There was time for a couple more K's half-chances to come and go - Scott Steele delayed his shot when he'd been played through by Craig Lewington allowing the defence to clear, and the number eleven then saw his shot well saved by Desborough when he connected with a Collins cross. But the break was reached with the home side still in the numerical ascendancy.

Photo: kingstonian.net

The second half began with two significant changes - the first being the colour of the ball. With the Stansted air becoming ever less clear, referee Mr Ellis Miller decided that yellow would be better than white. The view from behind either goal was poor, and at this stage there was doubt amongst many as to whether the game would actually be able to finish.

The second change during the interval saw K's revert to their more familiar 4-4-2 formation, abandoning the 3-5-2 with which they had started. This allowed Steele to take up more of a wide position and also allowed Max Hustwick to leave the centre area of the field.

The second half didn't begin too well for the visitors though. Within a couple of minutes Lance Key had once again shown his vulnerability when he failed to claim a far-post corner, but when the ball dropped to Rob French his effort was blocked on the line by Steele.

The home supporters thought that they should have been awarded a penalty shortly afterwards, and most of those from Kingston were forced to agree. A cross from the right was aimed towards Hayes, but Barnsby stopped the ball with his shoulder, then allowing it to trickle down his right arm before he hoofed clear. The fog was obviously becoming a factor when the referee's view was concerned though.

Photo: kingstonian.net

A double substitution saw the introduction of Messrs Alimi and Wingfield in place of Lewington and Steele, and all of a sudden it was Kingstonian who were on top. Clarke and Collins combined to set Pinnock free on the right, he rounded the full-back and pulled back for Sills, but the shot struck Danny Wolf and flew wide. From the resulting corner Wingfield swung the ball in to the near post, Julian Sills flicked on and brother Tim nodded home to equalise.

The goal was most certainly deserved, and it was almost added to a couple of minutes later. Pinnock again crossed from the right, Sills again met the ball at the far post to head goalwards, but this time Desborough produced a fantastic save to turn the ball aside.

Yet as has happened more than once recently, a lack of concentration allowed Bishop's Stortford back into the game. Captain Freddie Hyatt forced a corner when his shot from twenty-five yards was well saved by Key, but the defence failed to learn their lesson. Southam pulled the corner back to Hyatt who chested the ball down and executed a superb volley into the top corner of the net to hand his side the lead once more. It was a magnificent finish from a fine player, it's just a shame that he was allowed the time and space to show off his skill.

Photo: kingstonian.net

Yet this K's side is never beaten until the final whistle - and thus is was proved once more. With just three minutes remaining Dave Clarke threw in from the right, Tim Sills flicked on at the near post and Phil Wingfield stabbed the ball home with his right-foot to score another invaluable goal.

The match finished shortly afterwards with both sides presumably being happy with their points. K's would have been disappointed not to have picked up all three against one of the early-season relegation candidates, but managing to come from behind twice is never a bad thing. Six draws from eight away games isn't really promotion form, but then again nor is it that of relegation.