Clean Sheet for K’s But Stalemate Against Mackerel Men
This game was originally due to take place in November. It was postponed, again and again and again and again. There was still time for it to be further delayed because of bad traffic in and around Leatherhead, with kick-off put back a quarter-of-an-hour.
It wasn’t worth the wait. Perhaps we would all have been better off consigning this fixture to the dustbin before it took place, awarding both teams a point, and saving everyone the hassle.
At least it wasn’t too cold. And it didn’t rain. Muhammadu Faal, Kingstonian’s 70th appearance maker of the 2017/18 season, was the liveliest on the night, all legs and limbs, direct, tricky, forceful.
He probably should have opened the scoring in the first half when Worthing keeper Lucas Cavagnari inexplicably passed straight to him, but he couldn’t take it around the top-knotted Brazilian who recovered well and pounced on the ball.
It was Faal who instigated our best two moments after the break, one at the beginning and one at the end of a marginally-improved half of football. First, he danced into a central position and slipped in Daniel Ajakaiye, back in a league K’s side having last featured on New Year’s Day. He tried to round Cavagnari who blocked the ball, and then got to it just before Greg Cundle could tap into an empty net.
And then in the closing moments, Faal set off from inside his own half, down the left wing, flitted his way past a number of backpedalling defenders, and forced a good save from Cavagnari. That was about as good as it got all night.
The South Coast side shaded possession overall but created little, although a superb save with his feet from Rob Tolfrey did deny Reece Myles-Meekums midway through the second period. Our longstanding stopper also tipped a Harvey Sparks effort over, but that was about it.
This was a stalemate in every sense.
Match report by Rupert Cane.
