Godalming Town 1-2 Kingstonian
K'S SHOW G'S FORCE

A brace of goals by Bobby Traynor saw Kingstonian win their first game away in almost two months at Godalming.

Under bright and warm spring sunshine a penalty in the 20th minute and a shot in the 64th minute won the match in spite of a late charge by the home side that saw them bring a goal back with eight minutes to go.

The spot kick came when Dean Lodge was brought down by keeper Rodney Chiweshe on the edge of the box. Traynor stepped up struck confidently past Chiweshe. Then just after the hour a corner kick from the right found the head of Wayne Finnie who passed it on to Traynor for the second.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

The game began with the Gs putting pressure on the defence without Adam Thompson, and, indeed, it was not until the 13th minute when Kingstonian began to exert any presence at the other end. In between Jon Coke and Max Hustwick both stopped attacks from Brahim Eloumani and Benson Paka respectively. The latter coming after Paka broke out of his own half. The ball then found Chris Wales who passed on to Eloumani.

Then in the 11th minute Andy Ottley picked up a loose ball from Coke but the ball went out for a corner. And finally a long throw in from Finnie saw Ks up the other end. Minutes later Traynor took a free kick which found Rob Sheridan but he was harried by the defence.

Normal service was resumed when Lodge lost the ball and failed to chase back for it and left Victor Kiri to chase up the pitch before crossing in to Eloumani. His shot went over the bar, although Luke Garrard had it covered. Then in the 20th minute Lodge was bought down and Traynor scored from the spot.

Former K Eloumani was soon back in the action when his shot went just wide after work from Wales and then Graeme Purdy up the right.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

A rare attack up the other end just after the half hour mark saw Lodge cross in to Traynor from the left before taking the ball out again back and shooting tamely wide. With the first half starting to wind down saw Carl Wilson Denis crash the ball against the upright after Finnie's throw-in. Off the rebound NJ Lampton shot wide.

Then a mistake by Lampton saw Ottley's ball kicked behind by Sheridan before Ottley's corner found James Marriner whose shot was easy meat for Garrard. Ottley was once more at it when in injury time his shot was tipped over by Garrard.

Whatever was said at half time worked as soon afterwards the visiting team were on the attack. Clement James mis-kicked a shot from Traynor's cross. Then after Lodge was bought down Tom Dilloway's free kick was headed out. Another free kick minutes later by the same man was not so difficult and Chiweshe gathered the ball in easily.

With the pressure mounting the home side tried to change things around with an early double substitution in the 58th minute. Ex K's shot stopper and now Godalming manager Chuck Martini threw on Kenny Ojukwu and Adam Haddard for Eloumani and Marriner but to no avail.

A Lampton cross was taken out of the air as Dilloway came in and then a minute later a free kick by Lampton on the left found Lodge who could only hit the upright. A minute later it was two nil with Traynor's second of the game.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

It could have easily been a third goal for Ks - this time from Wilson Denis - almost immediately. Lodge crossed in and Wilson-Denis shot powerfully to the top of the net only to be denied by Chiweshe getting his fingers to it and tipping it over. Another chance this time from Dilloway was similarly denied after picking up Sheridan's ball.

Both Lodge and Finnie were denied soon after from the defence and a poor shot respectively.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Indeed it was almost against the whole run of the half that found the hosts claw back a goal with eight minutes left. Substitute and ex K's striker Ojukwu passed out to Otley and then found space enough to take the cross in from the left before pushing the ball over the line.

The game went up a gear with the home side going for a draw but Wilson-Denis was denied at the last minute after he rounded sub keeper Garry Aulsberry only for the shot in to be cleared off the line by a recovering Damian Matthews in the 88th minute. A cross deep into injury time was stopped by Aulsberry as Ks ended the game much better than they had started it.

Photo: Chris Hatton - Kingstonian FC

Welcome relief after a run of indifferent results and a poor start to the game, means Kingstonian are still in the mix for automatic promotion. However this needs to be sustained and the class shown at other times during the season needs to be regained as the squad is strong with the added benefit of a few youngsters also in the team by right.