K’s Roll Over The Rocks
A balmy evening, an unlikely occupant of the number nine shirt and a tremendous Kingstonian showing. This might well have been a mirror image of our goalless draw against Bognor on the South Coast six months ago, except this time K’s walked away with the three points.
It was Andre McCollin who provided the necessary firepower, striking once in each half. He swept Aaron Goode’s low cross in for the first, a quarter-of-an-hour in; his second was special, even by his high standards. Another neat K’s move finished with the superb George Wells delivering from the left. The cross found McCollin in space but he still had so much to do, rising high to guide a looping header in off the far post from a good 10 yards out.
Before the opener, Ryan Newman should have done better inside the first minute, and Sam Page, on his return from injury, was inches away from heading us into the lead. Dan Bennett – of all people! – then wastefully headed a fine Mitch Pinnock free-kick over.
Happily K’s were not to pay for those missed chances because McCollin soon had us ahead, but Bognor were back in it 10 minutes before the break when Ollie Pearce diverted a speculative long-range shot in.
Bognor had played away to two of our play-off rivals, Enfield Town and Dulwich, in the previous four days. It showed. The Rooks have been victims of their own success of late having impressively reached the FA Trophy semi-finals last month, where they were narrowly edged out by Grimsby Town. But it looks as though, despite their obvious qualities, they will have to settle for a play-off berth at the end of an epic campaign - even by non-league standards.
Our defence, with Alan Inns and Page imperious, had to remain on their toes despite Bognor’s inertia. That they did ensuring Rob Tolfrey had barely a save to make all evening.
Shortly before McCollin’s second, Bennett was denied. After it, precious little happened as K’s demonstrated the professionalism and desire so painfully absent at the weekend. It ensured Tommy Williams’s men remain in the play-off picture, but K’s must now build on this performance and result otherwise, like the great victory over Hampton, it will count for nothing.
Match report by Rupert Cane.
