Kingstonian 1-2 Croydon Athletic
K'S RAMMED AT HOME
A late penalty by Bobby Traynor was not enough to ignite a lacklustre performance as Ks failed to win for the fourth time in a row.
In their first home match since they overcame Walton Casuals and in a month ravaged by weather, Ks faced mid-table Croydon hoping to start to pull away from the ever-increasing chasing pack but found themselves two goals down before Traynor's penalty in the 81st minute.
With the home side beginning to press for an opening again, Traynor was nudged in the mid-riff in a very crowded defence and referee Shaun Scott was quick to blow for a penalty which was coolly converted by the striker himself.
Minutes later it seemed that Phil Williams might claw back a second goal but he headed just over the cross bar from the centre off Tommy Williams' free kick. And then the visitors could have made it two more in the dying minutes as Sol Pinnock failed to convert a minute later and in the 90th.
But then that would have been harsh as while the 2-1 score reflected the ebb and flow of the game. Indeed either side could have taken the early lead with Serge Makofo's long shot going wide on the left in only the fourth minute and then Traynor being blocked from close range by Neil Smith as he teed off a shot at the opposite end soon after.
A minute later Traynor once again found himself a chance as headed down to the goal but Flitney this time gathered the low ball easily. On the quarter hour Liam Collins cut in on the right and then shot low towards the goal from inside the box, only to be denied by Flitney.
A counter attack from the Rams being encamped in Luke Garrard's area then saw Wilson-Denis push the ball up to Traynor, on the run up the centre, but was just too strong and the attack broke down. Four minutes later Pinnock won a corner and Danny Waldren's cross in from the left was headed just over by Richard Blackwell. Next it was NJ Lampton's chance for a goal as his long looping shot carried over the bar.
It would be another nine minutes before the game sparked into life with Makofo once again looping a ball over with few options available. A minute later Pinnock had the best chance of the game when his shot thundered over the cross bar from 30 yards out. And the half ended with Pinnock swivelling on his right foot and shooting just wide with Garrard beaten.
The second half once again saw Croydon pick up where they had left the scoreless first half. First Tom Bolarinwa miscued his shot and the Garrard had to save well to deny Waldren after a long run up the left. Pinnock then had two more chances as he headed over the goal, with his back to the defence and then in the 59th minute Nick Rundell denied him again as Garrard was left stranded. Only a free kick four minutes earlier by Tommy Williams, which went wide to the left over the defensive wall, made sure that it was not all one-way traffic.
On the hour Traynor's long lazy shot went over the bar but with normal service resuming, Makofo shot and this time beat Garrard two minutes later. Andrew White had unlocked the defence with his precision pass along the ground.
Phil Williams then came on for Clement James as a more attacking option. Once again this had the same effect as the weekend with Huckle going wide minutes later and then Traynor bouncing on a loose ball before feeding it out to the right and Wilson-Denis. Flitney managed to parry the ball away.
This was only temporary as up the other end Max Hustwick bought down the ever-pressing Pinnock. Dusting himself off the Croydon debutante sent Garrard the wrong way and scored from the spot.
Once again Alan Dowson swopped his players with Collins giving way for Julien Thompson. This time it bought about a goal with Traynor scoring from the penalty spot for the ninth time this season. Despite one more chance to share the spoils it was once again Pinnock who could have scored with two more chances.
This reversal may spur the side on at home and there were times against the Rams when they showed why they are still in first place in the division. Come Saturday this may no longer be the case with Ashford and Worthing playing before then.
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Mon 16th Feb 2009 |
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Kingsmeadow Stadium |
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330 |
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Isthmian League Division One South |
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Kingstonian | 1 |
Traynor (pen) |
Croydon Athletic | 2 |
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1 | Luke Garrard | | |
2 | Jason Turley | | 12 |
3 | Nick Rundell | | |
4 | Max Hustwick | | |
5 | Simon Huckle | | |
6 | Neil Lampton | | 14 |
7 | Liam Collins | | |
8 | Tommy Williams | | |
9 | Bobby Traynor | | |
10 | Carl Wilson-Denis | | |
11 | Clement James | | 15 |
12 | Rob Sheridan | | 2 |
14 | Julien Thompson | | 6 |
15 | Phil Williams | | 11 |
16 | Anthony Joseph | | |
17 | Luke Naughton | | |
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Michael Underwood |
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