Yeading 2-0 Kingstonian
K'S BURIED AT THE WARREN

The match that Yeading fans have been looking forward to for weeks finally arrived, with the visit of bottom-placed Kingstonian to the league's in-form side. With K's in the midst of their best winning sequence so far this season (one win in a row) this was a match that never seemed likely to be close - even with the home side's minds on their trip up the R's the following week.

Just over thirty-six percent (that's four players - Lewis Hamilton, Robert Pires Paris, Luke Muldowney and Dwayne Plummer) of the visitors' starting line-up were making their debuts for the club, with another - Jamie Palmer - awaiting his big moment on the bench.

Nick Hart was making his first start since signing "permanently", but he took just two minutes to suggest that yet another goalkeeper may need to be sought. A corner was swung in from the right, his punch was woefully short of distance and Errol Telemaque turned the ball in to give the league leaders the first goal of the afternoon.

With the strong wind behind them K's looked to get back into the game. Yet neither striker was given much chance when long balls were played towards the towering Yeading back-line. The home side looked assured on the ball and the goalkeeper was not given any reason to worry.

The second goal came from a routine set-piece from Yeading, just after Hart had saved well from Davis Haule. The resulting corner from the left was met by Nevin Saroya at the far-post, who had no trouble heading home unchallenged.

Memories of the several-goal maulings that K's supporters have witnessed this season were awoken, but the home side seemed happy with their lot - so much so that their goalkeeper was happy to waste several minutes whenever the ball was at his feet.

Yeading did have the ball in the net again before half-time, but the strike from Telemaque was ruled out for a foul on Hart who had come out bravely to challenge.

K's did get a shot on target in the first-half, but Ruggles' shot from outside the area was deflected wide for a corner which was wasted.

Excitement almost occurred just before the break when a foul by Darti Brown on Giles Coke was punished with a free-kick. Whether something was said by the K's man wasn't clear from the terraces, but the reaction from Brown was most unexpected. It took several minutes, and more than a couple of team-mates, to calm him down. He even attempted to continue the debate with referee Mr Sheldrake as the teams trooped off at half-time, all the while being ignored by the referee.

The previously untroubled Yeading defence did have a little work to do just after the break, and all of their own making. A poor clearance from Marc Leach landed at the feet of Coke, and his subsequent run and shot meant that goalkeeper Delroy Preddie finally had to dive. He did, and the clean sheet was ensured - although there was now a speck of mud on his left shoulder.

The second-half was really a waiting game. Yeading were waiting for K's to attack, the K's players were waiting to get the ball back off Yeading and the supporters were just waiting to go home.

Nick Hart produced one very good moment for K's when he brilliantly turned aside a shot from Haule, who had turned Paris with ease. Yet the damage had already been done.

Yeading may well be a very good side, and they may well give Newcastle a game in the FA Cup next week, but K's were never even in contention in this game. Whether it is true that Yeading's playing budget is actually smaller than the Kingstonian one or not is irrelevant (although interesting), because even with the small matter of an FA Cup third round tie on their minds, Yeading looked like they wanted to win this match. The same cannot be said of Kingstonian, and we have absolutely nothing to distract us.