Sheerwater match report
match report by Simon Grier
Answers on a postcard: until tonight, had any Ks player ever scored hat-tricks in consecutive rounds of a cup?
It’s certainly hard to think of an example in recent memory but Elliott Buchanan impressively struck three against Sheerwater, following his four against Banstead in the previous round, as Ks eased into the Surrey Senior Cup quarter finals.
Ks looked comfortable throughout their tie against their Combined Counties opponents, despite the resolute goalkeeping of Alfie Mickley who made a number of fine saves to keep the score down.
Hayden Bird’s men dominated possession early on but it wasn’t until a quarter of an hour had passed that they begun to fashion clear-cut chances. Mickley saved a Fabio Saraiva effort and Buchanan headed a Saraiva effort over before the opener came through Rhys Murrell-Williamson. The midfielder created himself some space on the edge of the box and fired low into the bottom corner.
Ks couldn’t take their chances to extend the lead. Mickley saved well at close range from Calvin Ekpiteta and then again from Nyren Clunis, before the goalkeeper was also equal to Jay Barton’s 20-yarder.
The home side then had their best spell of the game at the end of the half but George Dore could only drive into the wall following an indirect free kick when Mason Whitnell picked up a backpass, and then Whitnell did well to push a long range effort wide of the post.
Buchanan opened his account ten minutes after half time, carrying the ball through the defence before calmly finishing with the outside of his boot.
Ekpiteta fired over and Whitnell saved a Tommy Brunton header before Buchanan it three with the best goal of the game. Kenny Beaney picked him out at the far post with a deep cross and he calmly sidefooted a volley under Mickley. The precision to control his shot was highly impressive.
Murrell-Williamson forced another good save from Mickley but Buchanan’s hat-trick soon followed, Ekpiteta heading back across goal for the striker to power home from around eight yards out.
Murrell-Williamson and Simon Cooper had late chances but the final word went to the home side, Toni Kozakis firing a consolation goal past Whitnell shortly before the end.
Sheerwater: Alfie Mickley, Ash Hitchinson, Billy Nutbeam, George Dore, Rikkie Letch, Jamie Pearce, Anthony Ogbanufe, Sean Swift, Brad Roberts, Tommy Brunton, Theo White.
Subs: Neil Roissetter, Toni Kozakis (for George Dore, 64m), Nathan Pooley (for Theo White, 57m), Morris Musselwhite (for Tommy Brunton, 57m), Richard Shelley.
Kingstonian: Mason Whitnell, Nyren Clunis, Fabio Saraiva, Simon Cooper, Jerry Puemo, Kenny Beaney, Calvin Ekpiteta, Kershaney Samuels, Elliott Buchanan, Jay Barton, Rhys Murrell-Williamson.
Subs: Jonathon Gjoshe (for Nyren Clunis, 62m), Kwesi Ntim (for Fabio Saraiva, 66m), Iker Noguera Leon (for Kenny Beaney, 80m), David Lopes, Alex Body.
Goal scorers: Rhys Murrell-Williamson (21m, 0-1), Elliott Buchanan (56m, 0-2), Elliott Buchanan (76m, 0-3), Elliott Buchanan (79m, 0-4), Toni Kozakis (86m, 1-4)
Attendance: 121
