Kingstonian 1-1 Folkestone Invicta
K'S LODGE GOAL PAST CHARLIE'S MITTENS

Another cracking goal by Dean Lodge saw Kingstonian draw to promotion rivals Folkestone Invicta on a day when they could have repeated the goal-scoring fortunes of others.

Trailing by a goal from just before half time, Lodge was released by Bobby Traynor's cheeky chip and running towards the goal he refused to shoot or chip himself until he rounded Charlie Mitten in the goal and then shot from 10 yards out in the 52nd minute.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

But for a penalty turned down in the first half and a plethora of chances, particularly after the break, the Seasiders held onto their point with their defence seemingly happy to play the offside trap often and the home side unable to deliver the coup de grace.

Almost from the first minute Kingstonian broke. Recent signing Liam Collins broke out from the midfield and then curled a long shot from 25 yards out that floated across the defence towards the far left post and then over the bar by a mere foot or two.

Then it was Jamie Beer's turn to test the defence and this time he found himself in the middle of the area in the eighth minute when Carl Wilson-Denis picked him out from the right after Lodge's cross field pass. Yet again the ball went over, albeit by more this time.

A short throw in from Jon Coke to Lodge was crossed in on the right to Wilson-Denis but Mitten had his gloves to it before him. Then within minutes the visitors had arguably one of their best chances of the game, in a match in which they created few. Skipper James Dryden headed in from a throw in by Josh Burchell and with almost the defence wrong-footed saw his ball go past the near post from 10 yards in the 16th minute.

Normal service soon resumed and Wilson-Denis snatched at a shot from Collins' pass with Lodge in a better scoring position to his right. And when referee Alex Neil pointed to the spot after Beer seemed to be shoved in the back by Michael Everitt, it seemed the deadlock would be ended, presumably with a Traynor penalty. However, he inexplicably changed his mind and Mitten stepped up to take a free kick the other way.

Sensing that the best form of containing Ks was to play the offside trap and seemingly helped by an over-fussy assistant referee, Folkestone began to push up to the midfield and frustrate the home side. Notably though Burchell could not quite convert a chance out on the left when he shot to the near post only for Coke to deflect the ball and then Luke Garrard to tip it around for a corner in the 33rd minute.

Lodge was denied in the 39th minute by a stray leg putting the ball out for a corner. But the tide was no longer with them, nor really with the Seasiders until Dryden bundled the ball in from five yards out after a cross by Burchell floated into the far post and a crowded defence. With Garrard going one way a hint of a stray leg sent the ball the other way and the ball crossed the line.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

The second half began as lively as the first half had and when Wilson-Denis won a free kick Nick Rundell stepped up to it. His shot was headed on by Simon Huckle but only found a defender. However the team did not have to wait long as within three minutes Lodge had launched his solo run and scored.

A series of chances ensued but each time the final punch was wanting as Huckle's mis-directed header and then Traynor's mis-timed run the pick of the bunch. In the 61st minute Traynor picked up a long shot from Collins free kick off the halfway line only for Mitten to save after initially dropping Traynor's shot. Then Lodge found Traynor's head but the ball went wide. Traynor then was unable to get to Max Hustwick's long range lob in time.

At this point Beer was replaced by Tommy Williams and almost immediately Ks were denied twice to take the lead. Traynor shot 10 yards out having unlocked the defence once again, only for Frankie Chappell to somehow get back and kick the ball off the line. A bit more power from Traynor would have seen the net bulge. Then a minute later Lodge broke out on the right and with the keeper almost beaten skewed the ball with his right foot from 10 yards out the wrong side of the near post.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Trying to make amends Lodge linked up with Traynor and with Traynor bursting past the defence the other assistant referee waved his flag as the ball went flying to Mitten, who held the ball.

The visitors then tried to wrest some control back in front of their travelling fans when first Dryden chipped over the bar and then Josh Vincent was denied by the palms of Garrard and with James Corbett coming in, Coke managed to kick the ball out of a goal area scramble. Corbett then kicked the ball over the bar from defender James Everitt's throw in.

Two more attacking substitutions from Alan Dowson saw Wayne Finnie and then minutes later Jon Neal replace Coke and Wilson-Denis respectively. Almost immediately Finnie was in action as he came up for a long throw, in the 84th minute, and Huckle's header was caught by Mitten.

Dryden then tried to take an undeserved lead for Folkestone but his low weak shot from 25 yards was easily gathered by Garrard. A very late substitution by the visitors only slowed the game down to their favour.

In injury time Lodge was unable to fully release Traynor and then another Finnie throw in saw Williams chip the keeper only for Mitten to jump high enough to pluck the ball out of the air.

With some teams coming to Kingsmeadow solely to hold on for a draw, Kingstonian failed to deliver the end product by scoring enough. This was not a scrappy affair, like some before, except in the second quarter.