Kingstonian 4-0 Godalming Town
G'S FORCE NO MATCH FOUR K'S

David Shin rounded off a stellar performance against visitors Godalming Town with a goal as Kingstonian routed the visitors with four goals.

The goal fest began after only nine minutes when Bobby Traynor found himself facing the 'keeper Andy Parkinson and shot the ball past him into the empty net. Shin had started the move with a small run and then pass to Saheed Sankoh as both he and Traynor sliced open the flat defence. His pass found Traynor with only the goal to beat.

Wes Goggin then made the small crowd wait until the 57th minute when he latched on to a loose ball in the crowded visitors' defence. His shot flew over the prone 'keeper from 15 yards, who had just saved a hard strike from Sankoh with his feet. Once again it was Shin, breaking on the left that set up the goal. His pass found Sankoh, whose drive from the left was denied by brave keeping.

However Sankoh was not to be denied and this time the 'keeper did his best to make sure it went in. With Towns' captain James Mariner having his header saved by Luke Garrard, the ball then was kicked out to Sankoh who broke down the left and ran before shooting a low shot to the left of Parkinson. The diving save was not caught cleanly and it bounced out of his hands over his legs before crawling to the line.

Photo: kingstonian.net

The keeper got up to grab the ball, which had had to travel 10 yards by now, and then bizarrely gave up trying to make a last-ditch attempt to deny the goal. The crowd was then given the spectacle of many of the visiting players down on their haunches gazing deflated at the dusty grass.

And then with the clock running down time for the match Shin finally broke his duck with a right-footed shot from the right. A chance loose ball was latched onto and he found the back of the net before wheeling away in celebration.

Photo: kingstonian.net

How different it could have been as Garrard was called on to make a series of saves during the match. Such is the measure of the team recently, he has only conceded one goal in more than six hours of league football.

With only four minutes on the clock Tommy Moorhouse was charged down by Joe Chandiram and only sterling work by the defence and Moorhouse, who eventually cleared up the mess he had started, denied the striker.

Two minutes later Chandiram, who was a handful throughout the game, hit in a sure-fire strike from the right 25 yards out to beat a diving Garrard, only for the ball to rattle the inside of the left stanchion and then come flying out to be cleared away by the defence.

Out of defence came the ball and a pass back by the other defence was fumbled by Parkinson before clearing to Traynor, whose shot then went wide. Two minutes later he had found the back of the net.

Town tried to get back in to the game, knowing they had to win to guarantee survival. Liam Grier's almost casual sidekick went wide to the left and a corner found a head before going over the top.

However Stuart Reeks then began to even things up with a run up the right and a cross from the right corner into the goal area just dropping over the crossbar and landing on the left upright. Inches less of a curl and it would have dropped onto the goal line and gone in.

Shin then set up Goggin twice, the first to his head slightly over hit and then a second to his feet denied by the defence.

Kingstonian laid periodic siege to the goal with Nick Rundell's free kick finding Parkinson's fists as Traynor went in from the crowded defence and the rebound just to high for Reeks.

Another free kick, this time a long one from the K's defence found both Sankoh and Shin running onto the ball, which was too long.

Goggin then had a try as he worked the ball well in from the right, before finding Traynor who passed it to Shin. Shin shot but was denied by the keeper, and the defence cleared the lines.

Two minutes later it was the turn of Garrard to pull off a piece of great work as he narrowed the angle with Shaun Lydon almost a certainty to score in from the right. The shot went wide to the left.

And just before the end of the half Sankoh and Traynor combined after Shin passed in from the left. A clearance from the defence found Goggin who pushed it back to Traynor. A weaker shot found Parkinson crouching low to deny him.

The second half began the same way with a header back from Traynor sailing wide and then Grier being denied by Garrard. The corner subsequently found Mariner's head, but this went wide. Garrard then had to tip a ball over from defender Shaun Elliot.

Sankoh then had a shot saved easily after a pass from Traynor in the 62nd minute. Minutes later it was Traynor's chance that was denied after an inch-perfect pass from the ever-busy Shin found him. The assistant referee however flagged for a late offside.

With both managers then taking opportunities to substitute the game began to slow down. Traynor came off with David Francis replacing him and then much later Alan Dowson gave Mark Watkins his debut, bringing him on for Sankoh, minutes after he had made it three goals to the good.

Earlier Riddell had come off for Glenn Boosey. And on for the other side striker Lydon was replaced by Glen Stanley. A double substitution followed in the 72nd minute.

In the end Kingstonian played like the team they have promised to for many games. Their opponents were hanging on a thread, hoping they could win and relegation rivals Ashford Town would lose - neither thing happened and Town are gone with Corinthian Casuals.

With so many teenagers in the squad and holding their own Ks fans have a lot to look forward come the end of the summer and the new season.