Molesey 2-2 Kingstonian
K'S MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL

A brace by Bobby Traynor was not enough to secure the points as an away game once again failed to produce a win, despite the superiority.

With minutes remaining on the clock, a late goal left Kingstonian facing a draw and dropped points in the promotion push, after Traynor fired the visitors at Molesey into a 2-1 lead.

First he stepped onto the penalty spot after Saheed Sankoh was bought down, and beat the diving keeper as the half-time break came, and then he fired Ks into a lead with a well-struck goal in the second half against a team at the bottom of the division.

Photo: Stephen Baird

In the 45th minute Traynor fed Sankoh a through ball only for Rob Wilkinson to bring him down 15 yards out. As the Molesey players remonstrated referee John O'Brien showed Phil Caughter a yellow card, after the player had run the width of the pitch to remonstrate.

Traynor then stepped up and coolly despatched the ball low and to the left, squeezing the ball below the diving keeper Jon Ashwood.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

His second goal once again squeezed below Ashwood after a miss-kick and a swivel in a crowded Molesey area beat him in the 61st minute. Simon Sobihy started the move with a free kick 35 yards out on the left which went short to Dean Lodge, on at the start of the second half in a double substitution with NJ Lampton.

Lodge then kicked the ball high out to the right of the penalty area before it came back in and found Traynor.

Unfortunately Kingstonian were unable to hold on for the remaining 29 minutes and injury time to the 2-1 lead and debutant substitute Laurent Hamici headed a looping ball beyond Luke Garrard with his defence in front of him static.

The game started slowly and it was not until the eighth minute that Sankoh registered the first chance for both sides. He met a 40 yard free kick from Nick Rundell with his head and then saw it go just wide on the right.

Three minutes later Sobihy then saw a cross from the corner flag float over the crossbar.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Ominously this fired the home side into action and a 30 yard shot by Grant Keywood just went over the crossbar in the 18th minute. Then four minutes later poor defensive work by Kingstonian saw Doug Ford beat Garrard from 15 yards out.

A minute later Sobihy then saw his header go just wide as Kingstonian tried to reply straight away, but inevitably it was Molesey who came closest when Eric Kwayke forced a corner after a long run up pitch. From the corner the ever-lively Stephen Omunua was bought down on the edge of the D. Keywood's free kick went just over.

Molesey had the wind in their sails. On the half hour Kwayke shot from short range only for the ball to rebound around the packed area with no-one able to do anything. Then a free kick by Omunua just missed the head of Luke Edghill.

Finally the K's defence got some respite as the visitors finally put pressure on an equally shaky Molesey defence.

Traynor tried three times, launching the ball over the cross bar in 31st minute, then could not get the ball round the left upright from very close range nine minutes later, before hitting another player a minute later. In between Sobihy, Gavin Cartwright and Huckle were all denied.

Photo: Stephen Baird

It was left to the influential playmaker Omunua to hit back when his flick on was well saved by Garrard. From this save Garrard launched the attack that led to the penalty and the Traynor equaliser from the spot.

Whereas the first half had started slowly the introduction of Lodge after the break galvanised the attack. Within three minutes he had already tried to go for goal, only Ashwood to get to the ball first. Two minutes later he ran the defence ragged, as went for a long run in front of the defence.

Finally the pressure played with Traynor scoring in the 61st minute, once again set up by Lodge.

Photo: Stephen Baird

Six minutes later Sobihy was denied another chance by Rob Williamson. Then Finnie was stopped after picking up a through ball from Lampton by the keeper.

A Lampton free kick in the 77th minute saw Huckle having to stretch but just not long enough. And with more options it looked as though Kingstonian would preserve the goal lead and possibly stretch it.

This Lodge nearly did when Wes Goggin crossed the ball into Sankoh who laid it back to Lodge. His kick unfortunately hit the top of the net close to the crossbar.

And that was it as far as Kingstonian were concerned, because even though Sankoh headed wide in injury time it was substitute Hamici who scored with less than three minutes to go and to give points even to both teams.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Once again two points dropped against a winnable team, but seemingly local rivals are either raising their game or dragging Kingstonian down. There must remain confidence that the recent run of poor form, stretching back for quite a few weeks now, will soon be forgotten with a return to the heady days towards the start of the season.