Kingstonian 1-1 Hampton & Richmond Borough
HAMPTON DOWN BUT NOT OUT

A disappointing crowd of just 345 saw Kingstonian fail to beat the first team in England to be relegated (Hampton) for the second time this season. A one-one draw was received by the travelling fans in a manner fitting a far more important occasion, but underlined the current struggles being gone through by the K's squad.

Indeed it was the visitors who took a deserved early lead. They were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area after a Dave Clarke foul, and Lee Riddell swept the ball around the wall and into Lance Key's top right-hand corner on just thirteen minutes.

Photo: kingstonian.net

The home side were stung into action and got the ball into the net within two minutes of the opening goal. Bashiru Alimi sent in a free-kick from the left, Tim Sills met it at he far post and headed goalwards, only for Scott Edgar to get the last touch from some two yards out. As Edgar turned to celebrate, he saw the linesman with flag outstretched and realised that - had he not intervened - the scores would have been level.

Riddell almost made it two when he connected with a Darren Deegan cross whilst Phil Wingfield also headed wide when he met a Dave Clarke long-throw after an Edgar flick-on.

K's did ensure that parity was restored though, on the half-hour mark. Liam Collins played in Scott Edgar on the right side of the area, he played in Clarke whose cross flicked off the top of Deegan's head. The ball dropped perfectly for Wingfield who had come storming in from the left, and he confidently headed past Iga for his eighteenth goal of the season.

Photo: kingstonian.net

The second-half saw very little in the way of incident, with Hampton content to sit on their point, and with K's minds on the heavy schedule that they currently find themselves in - this being the second of four games in seven days.

There were a few chances created - mostly for the home side. Chris Whelan strode forward and unleashed a good effort from twenty-five yards which almost went close, and Liam Collins came closer still. He was played in on the right by Sills, but his shot across the diving Iga struck the post. The ball bounced out to Wingfield, who set up Sills, whose shot was blocked. Sills pounced on the rebound once more, but fired wide.

A header by Alana Inns struck a defender on the line as Hampton made a rare foray forward, and Iga was forced into a magnificent save as time ticked by. On the left, Edgar passed inside for Sills, whose shot struck Chris Rose. The ball looped up and seemingly over the goalkeeper, until Iga swivelled in the air to tip the ball over.

Photo: kingstonian.net

K's made three substitutions in quick succession, as they continued to try to break down the stubborn Borough back-line. Iga saved comfortably from Sills, Dave Clarke shot wide and Chris Nurse saw his shot saved. But the most controversial incident of the day came about in the final minute.

Two minutes into injury time, a high ball was launched into the Hampton penalty. Liam Collins was challenged by Rose, only to go down after a clear elbow from the defender. Collins lay in obvious pain, and when play was stopped blood was seen to be streaming down his face. Quite how both referee and linesman missed the incident - which would have led to a last minute penalty - is amazing. Collins was taken off as a precaution and had a good sized lump on his face immediately after the match.

And so another disappointing result against Hampton. The relegated side fought hard, and probably deserved their point. K's created the majority of the chances, but in Iga they found a goalkeeper in fine form.