A momentous day for the Club as Canterbury City FC finally returned to the City of Canterbury to play a competitive game! Earning a creditable draw on their return to the City, against Fleetdown United.

It was an entertaining encounter that could have gone either way although City enjoyed the opening stages of each half and Fleetdown the latter of both and after City had missed a first-half penalty that would have regained them the lead, it was probably the visitors that edged the attacking possession stats.

It was a hot, sunny, energy-sapping day but both teams battled hard right to the end in an effort to break the half-time stalemate. City started the brighter and could have taken an early lead when a great diagonal ball from Farid Salifou found Callum Edwards and he strode through on goal only to see a fierce shot well saved by visiting keeper Finley Lumpkin with a strong blocking parry.

Dan Barrett then saw a firm header well pouched by Lumpkin while Mafany Makoge headed wide and Freddie Kemp curled a handily placed free-kick also just wide and overall it had been a very promising looking start from City.

Consequently therefore they deservedly took the lead when on fourteen minutes a corner from the right was played short and then sent in and after an initial shot had been blocked – possibly by an arm, it was fed back to Bruno Menezes and as stifled appeals were being waved away, Menezes quickly fired the ball home off the inside of the post for 1-0.

City weren’t able to build on that lead though as Fleetdown began to work their way into the game. Heureli Koke fired well over from distance while Mide Madariola curled a decent effort across goal and just past the far post. They had a couple of corners as well but it was from a right-sided long throw on thirty-five minutes that Fleetdown levelled the score. The ball was hurled into the City box and wasn’t cleared as it was twice headed up in the air before falling nicely for Freddie Horlock to crash it home on the volley – through bodies for 1-1.

Mariola then saw his shot from the left corner of the box rise over the City bar before at the other end the hosts had the perfect opportunity to reclaim the lead. Salifou was battling his way through several challenges before he was clattered down in the box for a City penalty. Edwards stepped up to take it but Lumpkin threw himself the right way and managed to get enough on it to keep the ball out and although Edwards pounced on the rebound, he wasn’t able to find enough space to try and steer it home.

An exchange of unsuccessful dead-ball situations then saw the half out with the teams deadlocked at one-all.

City started the second-half smartly as well with two very inviting crosses from Makoge and Kemp both well snatched from danger by Lumpkin before Tom Green, on the stretch, headed wide from a City corner.

After City’s initial impetus it was Fleetdown that then retook the momentum with a series of good chances. Horlock saw a free-kick hit with some sharpness fly just wide of the angle, while he then intercepted the ball in midfield before striding forward and firing over the bar, before Eren Musa shot well wide from distance.

City went close themselves though when a free-kick was hoisted in by Kemp and found Makoge at the far post but Lumpkin did enough to palm the ball to safety and then retrieve it.

Most of the chances were coming at the other end however and after a good move down the right, Madariola looked set to score but he was denied by City keeper Freddie Marsh using his feet to pull off a smart stop. Meanwhile, Paterick Mukeras shot straight at Marsh for a much simpler save, Horlock weaved his way through but hoisted an effort well over the bar before Marsh then thwarted Jeremy Idem – making a great point blank block from his well hit volley.

City made some changes and saw a couple of well-placed attacking free-kicks pass them by but it was Fleetdown looking the more likely. Arnold Pinto scooted a shot wide of the City goal while Harry Kanda was even more off target with another well worked effort.

City substitute Dan Thomas saw a looping header easily saved by Lumpkin as Fleetdown failed to make the best of two good free-kick opportunities before Camron Haswell’s terrific cross found Theo Sootarsing but Lumpkin did enough with a flailing arm to block his header and then managed to palm the rebound out of harm’s way before eventually clutching the ball to safety.

As the game moved into stoppage time, the visitors saw a shot hit the outside of the City post and a header go wide but it was the hosts that finished the game on the attack as Edwards saw an effort take a deflection and loop up for Lumpkin to claim before his free-kick then struck the Fleetdown wall before he hit the rebound goalward only to see that too take a big deflection and again fall nicely for Lumpkin to tidy up.

Fair play to both sides striving for a winner despite the stifling conditions but in the end a draw was probably fair enough, although Fleetdown would probably have had the right to grumble the loudest if a winner for either side had been found!

Final score: Canterbury City 1 Fleetdown United 1.