Heartbreaking Injury Time Defeat For K’s...Part II
Kingstonian succumbed to another last-gasp defeat on Monday evening against in-form Wingate and Finchley.
The result surely ends any hope Tommy Williams and his players had of making the play-offs this season.
K’s started brightly and could have taken the lead through Ryan Moss, but the returning striker’s finish was too high and close to Shane Gore, the Wingate keeper. He palmed the effort away.
With their first real attack of the match, the visitors took the lead as Rob Laney glanced a header in off the bar at the end of an enterprising move down the left.
K’s struggled to create much thereafter but that didn’t stop Bruce Hogg equalising with a real bolt from the blue. The defender, in for the injured George Wells, picked the ball around 40 yards from goal, took a couple of paces forward, and launched an Exocet that whizzed and dipped in the air. It flew over Gore and glanced off the underside of the bar and into the Athletics Road End net.
Moss could have completed the turnaround before the half-time whistle blew but had a low shot blocked by Gore’s legs after good work from Youssef Bamba.
Almost nothing of note happened in the second period as both sides cancelled each other out. Much of the game took place in the middle third of the pitch with possession at a premium, balls in behind ineffective, and individual skill sorely lacking.
K’s didn’t have an effort on goal of any description. Wingate had a couple of shots blocked, but that was about it until the 93rd minute. Time seemed to stand still as Ben Pattie chipped a delicate free-kick over the hooped wall and into the net via Rob Tolfrey’s left-hand post.
That made it six wins in a row for Wingate, 12 unbeaten all told. Unfortunately, K’s are left in a much sorrier state, condemned to mid-table mediocrity for the remaining third of the season.
Match report by Rupert Cane.
