Godalming Town 0-1 Kingstonian

Kingstonian remain a long way from the level of performance they will want to be reaching this year, but a fine twenty minutes after half time was enough to compensate for the other seventy being rather lifeless as they saw off newly-promoted Godalming Town 1-0.

After an utterly listless first half, Scott Corbett's 64th minute goal, his third in six games, was the culmination of a barrage of pressure after the interval and secured all three points for K's. Godalming, without a win so far, rarely troubled K's 'keeper Steve Windegaard but were well-organised and hard-working defensively and proved tough to break down.

Corbett may lack the flair of a Martyn Lee or a Mazin Ahmad but on current form he is as important to the team as either. The midfielder, a veteran of league, FA Trophy and Surrey Cup victories for K's, is developing a crucial knack of being in the right place at the right time for.

His goal was once again unspectacular but after a great run by Mazin Ahmad down the left, going outside Martin Beard and crossing low into the six-yard box, it was Corbett who got himself into position to easily convert from close range. With K's strikers still struggling to find form and fitness, Corbett's goals from midfield are proving particularly crucial.

The first half of the game was simply dire as a spectacle and led to further rumbling on the terraces. What few chances there were in the first half hour fell to the home side. First, their tall striker Danny Newman forced an excellent save from Windegaard and then Corbett proved to be as useful in his own six-yard box as in the oppositions, clearing a header off the line.

Towards the end of the half K's began to marginally up the tempo. Beard did well to chest a Dean Lodge chip off the line with Ahmad lurking at the far post and then again to clear a Lee cross for a corner just before Tony Reid could head home from close range.

Stuart McIntyre would have had every right to be livid at half time with a performance that was lacking energy and creativity. He clearly motivated his men to improve things after the break though and they immediately hit the ground running in the second half.

Ahmad and Lodge linked up nicely in the 48th minute to allow Corbett to cross to Reid at the far post. Reid tried to knock the ball down to Ahmad but it hit the outstretched hand of Shaun Elliott and K's won a penalty. Lee won the battle of wills with Ahmad and Tommy Moorhouse to get to take the kick, but it turned out to be a poisoned chalice.

The referee insisted that the kick be taken from right on the spot - but unfortunately the spot was in a hole. Lee quite rightly side-footed the penalty to avoid it flying over the bar but Andy Parkinson read his intentions from the moment he stepped up and saved the penalty as well as Reid's rebound shot.

K's maintained the pressure though and it became a matter of time before the breakthrough would come. Ahmad cut in from the left and forced Parkinson to tip his twenty-yarder over the bar. Two minutes later, Lodge played Reid in on goal and he took the ball round Parkinson. Unfortunately for K's, he took the ball too wide and then pondered, allowing Godalming to clear the ball for a corner.

The breakthrough eventually came though thanks to Corbett. K's took their foot off the gas somewhat thereafter, although they did have chances to double their lead. Reid hit the angle of post and bar with a neat chip from within the box, substitute Daniel Morris pulled the ball narrowly wide of goal from an acute angle and then Parkinson did very well to deny Lodge with five minutes to go.

A fine run from Ahmad saw him set up Morris, who hit the ball hard at Parkinson. He parried the ball into the air and tumbled backwards, but just before Lodge could follow it into the net he reached out and inventively sideswiped the ball away for a corner.

A late free-kick for Godalming gave them a chance to salvage what would have been a somewhat fortunate point but James Blason hit it over the bar and K's took all three points away from Wey Close.

Against opposition who are yet to win this year, it was very much a case of K's doing what they had to do. The defence seemed better organised but against the teams who K's will hope to be challenging for play-off places, they will have to start turning up for the whole ninety minutes.