Kingstonian 0-2 AFC Wimbledon

Fittingly Kingstonian goalkeeper Luke Garrard put in a tremendous performance as his team went down to AFC Wimbledon in their annual pre-season Trevor Jones Memorial Trophy game at Kingsmeadow on Saturday.

Fellow member of the goalkeeping union Trevor Jones was the popular player/manager of Kingstonian reserves' team and also chief steward at the Old Cranleighans' club in Thames Ditton when he died there four years ago next month in a tragic electrocution accident.

Ever since then the landlords, AFC Wimbledon, against tenants, Kingstonian, clash at the Fans' Stadium has been dedicated to Trevor's memory with a trophy donated by his mother, father and grandmother at stake.

Five years ago, when both Jones and Garrard were at another local club, Walton & Hersham, it was Jones who helped get Garrard back to form after injury and acted as his goalkeeping coach as well.

"He was a lovely fellow," said Garrard after the game, "and always ready to help you."

Photo: Tim Reder, www.tprphotography.com

So it was a telling tribute to Jones' helpful skills that Garrard was on top form to deny AFC Wimbledon, who play a league above Kingstonian, a much wider margin of victory with a series of full-length dives and brave saves at the feet of onrushing forwards.

He was only beaten twice. First of all by a stunning curling shot from Steve Ferguson in the eighth minute of the game. Ferguson also got AFC Wimbledon's second goal, 21 minutes into the second half, but this time it was altogether more fortuitous. As the ball came over from his left, Garrard went full stretch to parry it away, but only straight into Ferguson's face, from whence it bounced back into goal without the AFC player fully realising what was happening.

Photo: kingstonian.net