Kingstonian 1-3 Worthing
REBELS BREAK UNBREACHED LEAGUE RECORD
August, September, October undefeated and then November comes and on a wet Monday evening the Rebels bought down the league leaders with three goals, conceding only one.
Down a goal seconds before the end of the first half, Kingstonian bought it level within minutes of the restart. Carl Wilson-Denis ran into the box in the 52nd minute only to be upended by Andy Alexander. Up stepped Bobby Traynor to beat Alan Mansfield from the penalty sport.
Two goals in 10 minutes by Jamie Brotherton from a free kick and then striker Mickey Demetriou however put paid to this revival with both sides struggling against the persistent drizzle and northerly wind.
Kingstonian began the game against a Worthing side who were one of the form teams of October, winning a series of games by more than the odd goal, the stronger side. Mansfield was first to a loose ball in the fourth minute in the box. Then Adam Thompson forced a tip over from him soon after.
Photo: Terry Buckman
Then in the 10th minute Simon Huckle won the ball out in the Worthing mid field before finding Dean Lodge close by. His right-footed shot from 35 yards was tipped away again by Mansfield.
The Rebels then began to find their way when a poor pass back slowed down in the sodden pitch and Ross Treleaven pounced on it from the right. Luke Garrard's legs stretched out and blocked the shot.
Tommy Williams then saw a cross put behind by Karl Akehurst in defence and Williams' corner found Traynor 15 yards out. His shot went direct to Mansfield's mid-riff.
Photo: Terry Buckman
Still Ks pushed up and NJ Lampton found Lodge before he was upended and from the free kick the ball went over. And that was as good as it got with the conditions telling on both sides for the rest of the first half.
A headed shot down from a corner to Brotherton, went wide was the best of very few chances with Huckle shooting well over at the other end from Lampton's cross a minute later in the 33rd minute.
In the dying minutes Traynor shot weakly and then with seconds left in the first half Scott Kirkwood's corner was kicked loosely away only for Andy Alexander to slip in low from close range and put the ball low past Garrard.
With the drizzle still pouring down, Ks now found themselves starting the second half with the wind in their faces. In spite of this the equaliser was not long in coming. Lodge shot at goal in the 51st minute, which was pushed away for a corner. Williams' corner was picked up by Lampton. His pass into the box found Wilson Denis bought down and from the ensuing spot kick Traynor scored. Worthing goal scorer Alexander was booked for the penalty.
The game then settled into the familiar pattern of midfield play and few chances. In the 62nd minute poor defending from a free kick saw Brotherton latch onto the loose ball and he slotted a low ball past Garrard to re-establish the lead. Minutes later an unmarked Kirkwood headed over from a corner kick.
Huckle then gave way for Jason Turley, with the defence needing to hold the ball more. However this failed to have the desired effect as two minutes later Brotherton failed to make the best of an opportunity when another ball came out loose from the defence and he shot wide. Demetriou had set up the chance with a free kick.
Demetriou made sure of the three points a minute later when he picked up the ball from Kirkwood, who had split the defence, and beat Garrard.
With all three points won Worthing showed little ambition to increase their goal difference and this was matched by Ks unable to rouse themselves for the fight. The second half was punctuated thereon by substitutions. Wilson-Denis and Williams going first for Phil Williams and Julien Thompson respectively.
Photo: Terry Buckman
This still did not liven the game up and only a free kick in the 81st minute by Lampton threatened any goal mouth. Turley could only manage to head the ball over and out. Worthing then began to slow the game down further with their three substitutions from the 40th minute onwards. Both strikers were first to go and then in injury time Richard Greenfield was replaced by Charlie Farmer.
13 games undefeated is a good run for any team and while another win could have put Kingstonian nine points ahead with results running kindly elsewhere, few teams ever spend a whole season undefeated. However the measure of a team is how they respond in the next game.
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Mon 3rd Nov 2008 |
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Kingsmeadow Stadium |
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284 |
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Isthmian League Division One South |
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Kingstonian | 1 |
Traynor (pen) |
Worthing | 3 |
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1 | Luke Garrard | | |
2 | Jon Coke | | |
3 | Jamie Beer | | |
4 | Adam Thompson | | |
5 | Max Hustwick | | |
6 | Simon Huckle | | 12 |
7 | Neil Lampton | | |
8 | Tommy Williams | | 14 |
9 | Bobby Traynor | | |
10 | Carl Wilson-Denis | | 16 |
11 | Dean Lodge | | |
12 | Jason Turley | | 6 |
14 | Julien Thompson | | 8 |
15 | Nick Rundell | | |
16 | Phil Williams | | 10 |
17 | Luke Naughton | | |
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Michael Underwood |
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