Metropolitan Police 0-5 Kingstonian
PAYNE-STAKES HIS CLAIM

Kingstonian travelled to the scene of last season's cup final defeat for their first away friendly of the season, visiting the Metropolitan Police. The sparse crowd saw an un-engaging first half but was treated to a second forty-five minutes where the Kingstonian front-line showed their full potential.

What must be close to the first-choice eleven took the field at Imber Court, with Stafford Browne and Grant Payne once more paired together in attack. Scott Steele showed enough throughout the match to show that he is quite capable of playing more than a bit-part in the forthcoming season, and he was the first to worry ex-K Stuart MacKenzie in goal for the Police.

Photo: kingstonian.net

Liam Collins - playing in a wing-back role - strode up the right and played in Steele. He easily beat another ex-K Jon Daly, cut into the edge of the area and struck a sweet left-footed shot that the goalkeeper did well to turn aside.

Grant Payne shot over from just inside the area after beating Mark Harper, but it was the veteran number 7 who opened the scoring. Mark Beard played in Steele on the right from his central midfield position and all of a sudden K's were two onto one. Steele passed to Payne in the middle, he returned the ball to Steele who cut in and curled a fine left-footed effort over MacKenzie and into the top corner for the opening goal.

The second half saw a change in goal for the home side - with Edgar Pestana replacing MacKenzie - and a change in fortune for the Police defence. Stephen Broad should have made it two ten minutes in, but although he controlled Payne's chip well, his shot from ten yards out went very wide.

Liam Collins and Stafford Browne made way for Rod Davis and Scott Edgar respectively, and Payne was quite happy to show what he can do without the support of Browne. A hat-trick in five minutes from the ex-Woking man secured the win for K's, but will also have made it more difficult to work out which of he and Browne have first choice of shirts.

Photo: kingstonian.net

Payne's first goal came from a Scott Steele corner. The ball in from the right was flicked on by Edgar at the near post, and Payne stooped to chest the ball in at the far post. Two became three a couple of minutes later when another Steele corner - this time from the left - was played back to Beard. He crossed to the middle and Payne headed in from just outside the six-yard box.

The hat-trick was completed on 62 minutes. A fine run by Davis down the right saw him play in Edgar, who ran to the by-line and pulled the ball back to the middle of the area. Payne's shot struck the legs of Stuart Hart and snuck into the bottom corner.

A plethora of changes from both sides followed, with Nick Sowden taking advantage of some confusion amongst the K's defence when he was played in by Kori Davis. He was through on goal and shot well, but Clive Lyttle - on for Lance Key - produced his only save of the afternoon to turn the ball aside.

The pick of the goals was the fifth, and it came with fifteen minutes left. Another good run by Rod Davis down the right saw him pull the ball back to Payne on the penalty spot. He shot perfectly into the top-corner with his left foot and turned away suitably pleased with his afternoon's work.

Photo: kingstonian.net

Both Steele and Billy Mead should have scored in the remaining minutes, as K's threatened to match Stevenage's eleven-nil defeat of the Police. They didn't manage it, but a five goal win - with no goals conceded - is nothing to be sniffed at. Maybe not the sternest test K's will face this season, but in truth they couldn't really have done much more at Imber Court.