Kingstonian 0-1 Chatham Town
SHULTZ STUNS K'S

The familiar tale of dominance and chances once again converted into another defeat on Saturday as Chatham stole a win at Kingsmeadow.

One goal in the second half sealed the first home defeat of the season in spite of threatening to over-run the visitors from the Medway.

A long kick up field found Darren Smith, who passed it onto Gavin Schulz way out on the left. His cross in from 10 yards out from the byline missed everyone and rebounded off the far post, just beyond a diving Luke Garrard in the 53rd minute. Despite this Kingstonian had run the game and continued to run the game afterwards, but could not find a way past the strong defence nor John Whitehouse in goal.

The game began brightly with Dean Lodge forcing a corner in the 7th minute after another of his runs at the defence, saw him cross the goal area. The subsequent corner was wasted.

Saheed Sankoh then followed up with a long run three-quarters of the pitch up the left, after a Chatham corner. Once again Lodge was on hand to pick up his pass and as he crossed in Jon Coke came in from the right, only to be denied by Whitehouse, in the goal.

Bobby Traynor then combined with Lodge, in the 18th minute, but Traynor was denied by Daniel Larkin's header with the keeper this time beaten. A minute later Lodge was bought down in the goal area after Aaron Goode crossed the ball across the pitch from the right.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Then five minutes later Lodger was bought down again and this time the referee blew his whistle, although being out of the goal area, it was a free kick. This was duly taken and wasted.

In-between Mark Brookes had forced a corner after Smith had bought the ball down, just out of the area. It was from this corner that Sankoh had run most of the length of the pitch to set up a chance for Kingstonian. Then Schulz's first chance at goal had gone hopelessly sailing over the top after 23 minutes.

With the skipper Rob Goodger looking to get a couple of bookings, Chatham's manager Phil Miles swapped things over and moved Goodger upfield to avoid any further trouble. Within minutes his height nearly told as he was able to latch onto a long ball in the 35th minute. It went wide.

And again with the captain almost seemingly free of the defence, he cut the ball back to the right to Schulz, only for it to go behind the striker as he came in.

Then with two minutes of additional time on the clock at the end of the first half Garrard was once again forced into a save low to the right off Smith's right foot.

With Chatham enjoying some of the possession - it was no surprise that eventually they found away past Garrard but only off a somewhat fluke of a goal as Schulz's pass became a goal after the break. For them that was it and they were forced back onto the defensive by an increasingly dominant home side.

In the 62nd minute Traynor on the right passed in to Sankoh. His poor header deflected the ball further along the line of the goal, 10 yards out, and with Lodge racing in from the right the ball finally crossed the byline just beyond the right post.

Two minutes later Traynor picked up a free kick and put it over by about five feet. Nick Rundell then had his free kick denied by Tom Davey. The corner kick went long to Traynor but then came to naught.

At this point Alan Dowson bought on new signing Carl Gibbs, taking off Sankoh. It was not long before the 346-strong crowd got to see him in action as once again Lodge, instrumental in so much, received a pass back off him, having just passed to him. Lodge then curled an in-swinging high pass towards the area but as both Traynor and Coke jumped for the ball, it went just too high for them.

David Shin was then brought on with Wes Goggin, who was the only one to receive a booking for Kingstonian throughout the match, being sacrificed.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Two more chances followed with Lodge's free kick finding Gavin Cartwright on the right. His shot just went over the crossbar and then two minutes later, the 75th, once more on the right another free kick, this time by Rundell found Goode's head. The ball once again just passed over the cross bar.

Traynor was then denied by a last gasp intervention of Whitehouse, as the Chatham defence rocked, but refused to roll-over. A free kick after Lodge once again was bought down, was wasted.

Then Cartwright was unable to latch onto Shin's decisive pass, as defenders got to the ball. Coke ended the game with another shot going wide.

With Kingstonian's first home defeat this term and its fourth in five games, things are not looking too rosy, particularly as two were league defeats. However with both the latter unreflective of the way the games were played, it shows there is a thin line between a win and a loss.

Hopefully, with quite a few people coming through the turnstiles - it was the division's top attendance on the day - in spite of the weather, most will return to cheer on a team that will win and continue winning. Tuesday in Croydon seems like a good place to start up again.