Worthing match report
Match report by Jamie Cutteridge
It’s rare to see a game of football where both teams leave they could have won comfortably, but it was exactly that kind of strange afternoon as Kingstonian lost 3-2 at home to Worthing. For the Ks, a series of superb saves from the visiting goalkeeper Kleton Perntreou, and some stupefying misses, kept them at bay for much of the game, while Worthing will probably be a bit miffed that a game in which they held a 3 goal lead with 13 minutes to go, ended up being so close.
In the end, it was 20 minutes of madness at the start of the second half that hurt Ks. Ricky Aguiar started the rot, cutting inside to beat debutant Scott Davies and Tommy Brewer far too easily before curling a beauty past Rob Tolfrey from the edge of the box, just six minutes into the second period. Five minutes later, Isaac Newton added to the gravity of Ks situation, bundling in the rebound after Tolfrey kept out his header from point blank range. Oliver Pearce seemed to put the game beyond doubt at the midpoint of the second half, finishing off a flowing move by sweeping the ball home.
It had all looked so good for Ks in the first half. The visitors insistence on playing out from the back got their side into all sorts of trouble, resulting in them being pinned deep throughout the half, but the brilliance of Perntreou kept the score level, acrobatically denying a Scott Davies piledriver, while Elliot Buchanan and Josh Huggins both shaved the woodwork with fine efforts.
After Worthing’s onslaught, the game became the Perntreou show. A Shaun McAuley effort was tipped around the post and from the resulting corner, Brewer’s blast was tipped over. But with 13 minute to go, Ks hope was rekindled thanks to a stunning Davies free kick which curled beyond Perntreou’s reach. Minutes later Mano Gogonas’ curling effort was millimetres wide before Buchanan performed an extraordinary double miss. His first attempt from Davies’ free kick hit Perntreoi in the face, but with the stopper stunned, Buchanan could only place the rebound right at the keeper from 4 yards.
Still Kingstonian pushed, Scott Day, who reeked havoc off the bench headed a great chance wide before Louis Theophanous bundles home a rebound from Inman’s header as the clock ticked into injury time. Ks were to have one last chance, and only again it fell to Buchanan. The marksman got on the end of Musungu’s teasing cross, but with the goal gaping the ball bounced off his knee and wide to secure three points for the mackerel men.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Sean Clohessy, Andrew Musungu, Scott Davies, Dean Inman, Tommy Brewer, Josh Huggins, Shaun McAuley, Elliott Buchanan, Louie Theophanous, Dan Darbyshire.
Subs: Scott Day (for Dan Darbyshire, 63m), Nathan Minhas, Manolis Gogonas (for Shaun McAuley, 78m), Jerry Amoo, Joe Wicks.
Worthing: Kleton Perntreou, Alex Parsons, James Crane, Ross Edwards, Joel Colbran, Jalen Jones, David Ajiboye, Ricky Aguiar, Isaac Newton, Oliver Pearce, Jesse Starkey.
Subs: Darren Budd (for Ricky Aguiar, 89m), Joe Clarke (for Jesse Starkey, 82m), Billy Barker (for David Ajiboye, 14m), Josh Gould, Callum Kealy.
Goal scorers: Ricky Aguiar (51m, 0-1), Isaac Newton (57m, 0-2), Oliver Pearce (68m, 0-3), Scott Davies (77m, 1-3), Louie Theophanous (88m, 2-3).
Attendance: 279
