Kingstonian 1-0 Ashford Town (Middx)
PLAY IT AGAIN, JOE

A solitary goal just before the break saw Kingstonian leapfrog over local rivals Sutton to reclaim back second position in the Ryman promotion.

Having conceded the same spot after Saturday's draw away to fellow promotion chasers Wealdstone, Kingstonian came out strongly against Ashford Town in a competitive affair.

With the home side much the stronger, it took either a deflected shot or an own-goal for the scoreless deadlock to be broken. A corner kick from Matt Gray found Bobby Traynor up front, lurking, only for his wayward header to hit the Town loanee, from Woking, and for the second time in two games Joe McNerney had an own goal.

It was the visitors who held early sway as in only the fourth minute Rob Tolfrey's outstretched legs denied Scott Harris' shot from a run up the left by former K's winger Jermaine McGlashlan. At the other end, the Athletics Ground, Traynor headed wide.

Carl Wilson-Denis was then denied after his low shot was parried away by Craig Ross. With Ashford under pressure, kept together by a resolute defence, the visitors began to believe that they may get something out of the game. Jermaine McGlashlan on the wing, and a target for many tackles, came in from the left and shooting low found Tolfrey's gathering arms instead.

Within minutes Femi Ilesanmi had outfoxed Gray and then coming in from the left also, miscued the shot over the crossbar to the near post. From the goal kick Ks went up the other end and with Bashiru Alimi crossing to Traynor in front of goal, the marksman uncharacteristically shot over the goal as he tried to chip Craig Ross.

Then Simon Huckle headed goalwards only to be denied by a defender in a packed area as the ball loped over for a corner. However it was from another corner that minutes later a corner from Gray on the right found Traynor only for his header to deflect in off McNerney sending Ross the wrong way.

Traynor nearly doubled the lead within three minutes of the restart when his shot was headed away by Russell Camberton. However that was it as both teams were unwilling to impose as they had both faced tough games two days earlier. Indeed it was not until the hour mark before McGlashlan unlocked the defence with a cross in from the left and Scott Harris shot wide under pressure from Christian Jolley.

The visitors were starting to stir and then the ever-dangerous McGlashlan went to the floor as Max Hustwick conceded a penalty. Up-stepped Jones Awuah, who shot low, but Tolfrey dived for the ball and took hold of it to deny the goal in yet another display that raises expectations each time he takes to the field.

At the other end Huckle found Carl Wilson-Denis up the middle and the shot was low and easily gathered by Ross. Still Ks began to break down attacks by Ashford and when Traynor broke up the left another goal was anticipated only for his pass to go slightly behind the unmarked Wilson-Denis. The same combination worked well again only for this time Wilson-Denis to be denied by a defender for a corner.

However increasingly the attacks were being spiked by Ashford's use of the off-side trap, increasingly further upfield.

Dean Lodge came on in the 89th minute for Traynor and in injury time his dummy found Wilson-Denis but Ross was equal to it and while his fumble almost gave the ball back, this time Wilson-Denis was unable to take advantage.

The win reclaims second spot for Kingstonian who have only eight matches left in the last six weeks to keep in a play-off place while many in the mix face rather more evening games in their schedule. The grittiness of the win augurs well that this could remain a possibility come April 24th.