Metropolitan Police 2-2 Kingstonian
TWO-BOB DRAW

A Bobby was on the score sheet twice as Kingstonian breached the thin blue line in the top of the table clash.

With two penalties Bobby Traynor put Ks in the lead once in each half only to see the Met Police come back again with a goal in the 36th minute and then in the 87th minute.

In the 15th minute he dusted himself off after he was brought down by Mo Maan in the area and then duly converted with Maan flinging himself the wrong way.

Forty minutes later it was the turn of the pass provider for the first goal to feel the dirt of the pitch when Carl Wilson-Denis went flying in a crowded area. Once again Traynor struck cleanly and once again Maan flung himself, albeit it more vigorously, the other way.

But it could have easily been different as the away side, possibly mindful of the fact that injury and illness was ravaging their defence, was positive up front. It was not until the 7th minute that the first chance came when Luke Garrard punted a long ball up field, rugby-style, with Traynor getting hold of it. A pass to Wilson-Denis found the latter not quite able to control ball and the defence shepherded it away.

A minute later the two once more combined only for Liam Collins to shoot a long-range ball wide on the right. And in a classic counter punch from the home side Craig Carley then shot wide after Maan's goal kick out.

The ball soon ended up in a Ks' attack and with Wilson-Denis finding it bouncing badly on the rutted pitch, he fed it out to the Traynor on the left. Traynor then aimed for the goal and Maan was able to save it.

However the next opportunity saw Maan unable to repeat the same feat after he fouled Traynor on the attack again. A free kick from Wilson-Denis landed at Traynor's feet in the centre of the area and Maan clattered into him. The penalty was taken by Traynor and Maan beaten.

Wilson-Denis nearly doubled the lead when a long run up the centre of the pitch by NJ Lampton was fed out to him on the left. A powerful shot followed and only the fingertips of Maan combined with the crossbar denied a second goal.

Lampton was then denied when his 20-yard looping shot was caught well by the keeper in the 25th minute. Collins had passed the ball in to him.

Either side the increasingly influential defender Michael Cobden, resplendent with long flowing locks kept under control by a band, had seen a corner first scrambled away and then Garrard punch away a free kick.

The home side were starting to reassert pressure and Scott Forester was the next to take his chance when he shot low towards the goal, only for Garrard to pick the ball up easily.

Inevitably something had to give when Garrard was left stranded in the 36th minute after Forrester's shot was stopped by Nick Rundell, only a couple of feet ahead of him as he dived with the shot covered. With the ball bouncing around Michael Cobden picked the ball up on the right and put it over Garrard, desperately trying to pick himself up and into position in the crowded area.

The second half looked to be a restart of the first half when very early pressure from Simon Huckle looped the ball wide and high from Rundell's free kick, but this was soon disabused by Cobden again. His free kick at the other end was headed over by Nick Humphrey.

Carley, last season's top scorer in the division, then shot low and just wide: so it was a relief when Wilson-Denis found himself on the ground from the same person only in the opposite area. Traynor's second penalty put the away team in the lead again.

This was temporary respite with Steve Sargent corner kick going out and then Carley once again shooting wide. In-between Max Hustwick headed wide on the right from a free kick by Tommy Williams.

Sensing something needed to change Alan Dowson then bought on Phil Williams, with Collins leaving the pitch. Within minutes Traynor had to stretch back for a ball, which he crossed in from the right, past Wilson Denis in front of goal and onto Lampton who was not able to get enough control on the ball and his shot went straight to Maan.

Suddenly Ks had a bit more zest with the game opening up and the Traynor playing further down field. With Phil Williams picking up a yellow card, seven minutes after coming on, for a tackle on Sargent, his victim then found his 35-yard lob from the free kick caught by Garrard. Immediately in counter attack mode Phil Williams was only disposed by the same Sargent as he approached the opposite area.

Traynor was then denied by the keeper after Phil Williams crossed to him and from the loose ball Lampton scuffed his shot. A counter attack again saw James Greenaway slot to Carley but the linesman was quick to spot the offside. Immediately he was substituted as recent signing Jon Henry-Haden replaced him.

But with the game looking to wind down and Ks looking to hold on for the win, referee Michael Webb took centre stage when he began to clutch his left leg and finally hobbled to the dug outs with cramp.

After a number of minutes he returned to the thick of the action and almost immediately Ks launched an attack with Wilson-Denis being denied again by Maan, again. Back at the wrong end of the pitch Craig Brown crossed in from the right and ex-K Gary Drewett jumped and headed the ball past Garrard.

Injury time began with Clement James miskicking the ball rather passing to a better positioned Wilson-Denis. Tommy Williams regained the ball and then Lampton shot wide. Still Ks pressed and Maan then bought down Wilson Denis just outside the area and with Tommy Williams teeing up the free kick both Phil Williams and then Lampton could head the ball in from close range. Another corner, won by Wilson-Denis, saw Traynor and Phil Williams unable to convert past Maan, who had only been booked for the latest of his challenges.

Finally the referee, with eight minutes of extra time, blew his whistle and honours even.

With both sides needing a win for different reasons, it was Ks that can come away marginally the happier as they laid to rest the ghosts of the Worthing game a fortnight earlier. With quite a few of the normal defence out, it was always going to be tough. Once again it was the curse of the ex-player that came back to haunt Ks with Drewett scoring the second goal. Last season it had been Tommy Moorhouse scoring the second, and winning goal.

Kingstonian remain top of the table still, on goal difference but four games in hand on the next three and a game or two in hand on the next two below. However three points separate all six teams. A win on Monday at home to Croydon would alter this quite a bit for the better.