Whyteleafe 1-2 Kingstonian
DEAN LODGES HOME THE WINNER

Kingstonian may have proven unable to raise their game enough to beat either of the top two recently, but they are at least continuing to grind out results against opposition from the bottom half of the table.

Whyteleafe have never enjoyed games against K's, with seven previous encounters producing only a solitary draw in the Surrey Cup for the team near Croydon. Today would prove equally frustrating for them as K's went 2-0 up in a lifeless game, before they pulled a goal back late on as K's threatened to throw the points away.

K's, missing Sills, Lee, Hudson and Rose, struggled to create much early on although they did at least look very solid at the back. The first forty minutes were for the most part miserably dull, enlivened only by a fine tenth minute goal for Tommy Moorhouse. The combative ex-Leatherhead player fiercely headed a brilliant Glenn Boosey corner into the ground from where it bounced hard into the top corner past Danny Cooke.

The bobbly pitch did little to help the games creativity but neither side should use that as an excuse for the fact that nothing of note would happen for another half an hour. A (relative) flurry of action before the break though would bring the game to life and eventually see K's seal the points.

Luke Garrard saved well from an Ellis Conroy free kick before Dean Lodge twice came close from distance. The midfielder eventually got his first goal for the club though in rather chaotic circumstances. A high Steve Symes cross was knocked backed across goal by Danny Morris and it looked like Glenn Boosey would have a simple tap in. Danny Arkwright did superbly to clear the ball from under his nose, but it went up and only as far as Lodge, who drilled the ball into the ground and past Cooke.

'Leafe's Manager was overheard giving his players quite an earful at half time, but it did little to affect the game and the second half was for the most part as boring as the first. Cooke was unable to hold a Lodge free kick but Tony Reid fired wide and on the hour mark K's should have scored from a comedy of errors.

Lodge fired in a corner that was too low, 'Leafe somehow failed to clear it and Scott Corbett miscontrolled the ball before failing to finish from six yards. It appeared to be handballed on the line by Tony Martin but the referee, who otherwise had an excellent game, thought otherwise and play continued. Handball or not, Corbett really should have scored to wrap the game up.

The same accusation was levelled at Reid some twenty-three minutes later. Symes set him through on goal down the left with a great ball and Reid bore down on Cooke, albeit at a tight angle. The best option would have been to square the ball for Morris but this was eliminated when Morris was felled off the ball. Reid continued but Cooke came off his line well to save.

Having created little all game, 'Leafe produced a goal to remember through substitute Ryan Rummery. K's marking was slack and he had too much space, but that should not take away from Rummery's achievement in firing an excellent curling shot past Garrard from twenty-five yards.

This made the last few minutes rather hairy for K's and there seemed an excessive amount of injury time for a game that had few stoppages. However, Whyteleafe failed to again threaten Garrard and K's moved back up the table with three valuable points.

In the past, K's have often failed to take maximum points from teams below them in the league. Last year, it was a shortcoming that arguably cost them promotion. K's fans will therefore be pleased at another three points, albeit concerned that things surely have to improve further in order to challenge the likes of Dover and Fleet.