K’s Slump To Another Home Disappointment
On the opening day of the season, despite going down to ten men early on a free-flowing Kingstonian carved Enfield Town apart to win by a scarcely believable 5-2.
Such attacking verve was in little evidence for the return fixture though. Ks managed just a single shot on target, from Pico Gomez, in another insipid 1-0 defeat at Kingsmeadow. Rob Tolfrey may not have been working overtime himself, but Enfield were good value for their 1-0 win and barely recognisable from the disorganised outfit who capitulated so badly on the first day of the season.
In the first half their dominance of possession yielded little in terms of gilt-edged chances, the hairiest moments for Ks being a pair of free kicks in promising positions that cannoned into the wall.
After the break, however, the visitors exerted their dominance more spectacularly. Nathan Livings fired narrowly over the bar and then Jon Constant came close from distance.
Town should have opened the scoring on 76 minutes when Matt Drage slipped, allowing Corey Whitely a free run at goal. From a slight angle, however, he pulled the ball wide of Tolfrey's goal.
Tolfrey saved well from Phil Kane but the deadlock was eventually broken on 80 minutes. A corner broke only as far as Mark Kirby on the edge of the box and having been an imposing figure in defence for most of the game, he won the points by driving powerfully through the gaggle of players in the box.
Whitely had a chance to wrap the game up after good work from Liam Hope but it mattered not, as Ks failed to even get a meaningful shot on goal, despite Tolfrey desperately joining the attack for a pair of later corners.
Enfield were jubilant at the victory, perhaps more so than would be expected in a clash of two poor midtable sides. That sort of team spirit, however, might well be exactly what propels them up the league table.
Match report by Simon Grier.
