Bishop's Stortford match report
Kingstonian's poor away record continued with a single goal loss to promotion-chasing Bishop's Stortford, but it was an improvement of sorts compared to other recent matches.
It wasn't a game that will live too long in the memory as both teams struggled to create much in front of goal with keepers Jack Giddens and Sam Jackson rarely being forced into action.
The home side started the game on the front foot as was expected, but they came up against a determined Kingstonian defence. Ollie Peters carved out the first chance of the game in the 18th minute but was denied by a superb interception by Tyrese Owen. Four minutes later Kingstonian won a corner that nearly bore fruit, the kick taken by Iker Noguera Leon, flicked on at the near post by Blues man Jack Thomas, the ball hit Kieron Cadogan, he was unable to react in time and the ball was gratefully leapt on by Giddens.
In the 29th minute, Bishop's Stortford took the lead. A corner on the left from Jay Porter was headed away by Cadogan, but Peters pounced on it and lashed a fine acrobatic vollet into the bottom right of the net with K's keeper Sam Jackson just standing and watching, because that's all he could do. You don't defend those.
K's worked hard to try to get themselves back into the contest, some nice passing between Kwesi Ntim and Lee Lewis led to the latter shooting at goal straight at Giddens, but it proved that K's could pose a threat.
Brandon Adams shot only just wide as the home side started the second half the quicker, but the game quickly stalled and turned into a stalemate as both teams cancelled each other out as it got increasingly scrappy. Substitute Corey Parchment hit a shot just wide of the post from a corner in the 65th minute, but the match meandered to a finish with the closest either side being able to score coming in the fourth minute of added time when the home side had several chances to prod the ball home but K's were able to survive that stramash and clear just as the final whistle blew.
In general play, K's held their own against a good team but once again there was little end product going forward - this time the team didn't collapse when they went behind, which is some kind of positive, and defended well, which definitely is a positive, but as an attacking force the K's were once again a disappointment.
Bishop's Stortford: Jack Giddens, Jay Porter, Ryan Henshaw, Jonny Giles, David Olufemi, Jack Thomas, Darren Foxley, Ryan Charles, Brandon Adams, Ollie Peters, Harry Beadle.
Subs: Josh Demetriou, Anthony Church, Matthew Johnson (for Brandon Adams, 81m), Donell Thomas (for Jonny Giles, 70m), Frankie Merrifield (for Darren Foxley, 59m).
Kingstonian: Sam Jackson, Lee Lewis, Dwight Pascal, Jack Strange, Michael Abnett, Tyrese Owen, Kwesi Ntim, Kenny Beaney, Kieron Cadogan, Nodirbek Bobomurodov, Iker Noguera Leon.
Subs: Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Corey Parchment (for Iker Noguera Leon, 59m), Geneiro Maragh (for Dwight Pascal, 79m), Thomas Gogo (for Nodirbek Bobomurodov, 79m), Rob Tolfrey.
Goal scorer: Ollie Peters (29m, 1-0)
Attendance: 399
