Kingstonian 1-0 Carshalton Athletic
ROBIN' HOOD

A late goal sealed a rare home victory as Ks robbed the Robins of any points in a closely-fought derby contest.

With only two wins at Kingsmeadow all season, Bobby Traynor's 84th minute strike lit up a dull second half to give Kingstonian an unlikely win as the visitors failed to capitalise on early dominance.

Matt Gray's free kick found Traynor lurking out to the right and he shot low towards the near post, only for Carshalton's Joe Dolan to put a leg out and divert the goal-ward ball further into the back of the net through a crowded defence.

Having failed to impress six days earlier against Chippenham Town, Ks needed to up their game but in front of only 380 Christmas-shopping escapees they allowed local rivals Carshalton to dominate from the start.

Craig Faulconbridge volleyed short of the near post after a short pass from Richard Jolly in the 11th minute as neither side really found any rhythm and then minutes later Carl Wilson Denis slipped as he failed to take hold of a Traynor cross at the other end.

Karl Murray replied with a shot across goal at the Ks end, after escaping a tight defence. The ball narrowly missed the far post. And then the game slunk back into poor passing as neither team could break out of the middle of the park. Indeed it was not until the half hour until Gray found Simon Huckle's head, as it skimmed on far of the post.

At the other end, almost immediately, Rob Tolfrey dived well to deny Murray. The corner kick resulting was somewhat less spectacular. The remaining 15 minutes was even less so as, once again, neither side was able to break the midfield poor passing show.

The second half began in a similar vein and it was until seven minutes in when a poor back pass, from Gray, was grabbed by Jolly and shot against the bar before rebounding back in and kicked away towards the middle of the park. On the hour Huckle then headed into the arms of Nick Hamann at the other end.

Hamann then denied Wilson-Denis from Christian Jolley after an inspired run up the left. Three substitutions in 12 minutes for both sides then saw Jolley replaced for a more defensive-minded Rob Sheridan.

However within two minutes of the last one Traynor scored and one more substitution saw Wilson-Denis leaving in the dying embers of the evening for Lewis Cook.

While this was not a match for the connoisseurs, a victory was more than welcome and Carshalton's failure to exert any meaningful pressure, when they could, cost them dear and allowed Kingstonian an unlikely win.