K’s Crash Out of Surrey Senior Cup
K’s travelled to the furthest corner of Surrey to take on Combined Counties Premier League side Badshot Lea on a windy Tuesday night at Ash United’s Shawfield Stadium.
Tommy Williams made five changes to the side that lost on Saturday at Dulwich Hamlet including an outing for Will Bor at right back and former Wolves youngster Jake Kempton in attack on debut.
K’s much changed side set up in a 4-4-2 formation but struggled to find their feet on a heavy pitch against the more settled Badshot Lea side.
Rob Tolfrey was called into action early on in the K’s goal, making an excellent low save to his left from a powerful header.
K’s only early chance was a Pinney header saved at point blank range by Paul McCarthy from a Butterworth cross.
It was the hosts that took the lead after 15 minutes, K’s were caught out of position as Badshot Lea broke and a shot was half blocked but Dan Turner bundled it into the net past Tolfrey. You couldn’t say that it wasn’t coming.
K’s responded on the half hour with an equalizer, Nathaniel Pinney made an opening on the right and stood up a cross to the back post where left winger Chris Henry bundled the ball home to make it 1-1. Pinney then had a gilt edged chance to get on the score sheet himself when he found himself clear down the left hand channel and cut in with only McCarthy to beat but could only hit the ‘keepers legs with his effort and Chris Henry shot on the rebound went over as the half time whistle blew.
If K’s had started to take the initiative at the end of the first half, it was ripped away as Badshot Lea broke away and the striker went down under a challenge from Drage for a clear penalty. It was perhaps lucky it was only a yellow card. Tolfrey was sent the wrong way from the spot kick as Badshot Lea took the lead again.
For the next half an hour K’s lay siege to the Badshot Lea goal as Kavanagh started to dominate the midfield, but whatever they tried could not force a way through as defenders threw themselves in front of every K’s shot. Jake Kempton looked bright but often took too long before shooting, hopefully more game time will see him find his goal scoring feet. Pinney also had a claim for a penalty, the defender went to ground and didn’t get the ball, but Pinney went to ground too easily.
Then suddenly K’s were out of ideas and Badshot Lea saw the tie out in relative comfort. They celebrated hard at the final whistle and deservedly so.
K’s now face a hectic period of games in December to stop this season being one to forget.
Match report by Neil Baker.
