A much needed win for City as they defeated fellow early season strugglers Bexley FC by 2-1 at Thanington. Another Nishida Uta special followed by Camron Haswell’s penalty put the hosts two-nil up but a late strike by the visitors plus around seven minutes of added time saw some City nerves definitely jangling, but they held on eventually to secure the victory.
A very open game, especially first-half, was played with a strong wind gusting across the length of the pitch and Bexley probably had the better chances of that period despite being the ones playing into the wind. In the first minute it was hearts in mouths time for City as Bexley’s Jordan Tingley pounced to rasp in an effort that City keeper Fin Lumpkin did well to dive and turn aside for a corner, from which Myles Duffus headed over the City bar.
The play was swinging from one end to the other and Dan Thomas chased down a wind assisted clearance from Lumpkin but shot straight at visiting keeper Harrison Carnell-Davis before the keeper had to be smartly on his toes to clear as Mafany Makoge threatened to get to another giant clearance from the back. Bexley responded with a good break down the right from Tingley that found Corey Spencer whose swung in shot was very well blocked at close range by Lumpkin – the City keeper probably going on to have his best game for the club so far.
The next couple of chances also fell the way of the visitors as Tingley’s shot took a heavy deflection and popped up nicely for Lumpkin to claim before some good work down the left from Jamie Blundell saw his lifted cross just helped on and up and over the bar by the arriving Spencer. In fact looking at the notes, Bexley were definitely having the better of the attacking play as Dom Howard made some space before shooting well over, Spencer brought out another good save from Lumpkin – before Tingley also saw the rebound well blocked and then John Woodcock’s long-range effort looked too high and just continued to rise further over the City bar.
The same player then saw his distance effort well fielded by Lumpkin before Spencer sent Tingley through but as the keeper closed him down, the Bexley forward rolled his effort past him, but also wide of the far post. City then hit back with a good chance of their own as Makoge’s threaded pass set Givanni Wilson through on the right, but with the angle narrowing, he was thwarted by a decent smothering save from Carnell-Davis.
The hosts continued to soak up quite a bit of pressure and had a narrow escape when a firm cross from the right was part blocked and part deflected by Ethan Farnham, eventually disappearing over the bar but frankly, it could have gone anywhere! Home debutant Arron Barker then hit a snap, low drive just wide but still it was Bexley having the better chances.
City negotiated a couple of successive corners leaving four players up to drag four opponents back as well, which meant the keeper and defenders definitely benefitted from having some much clearer space in the box and less bodies in there to actually properly deal with what was being sent in, so while Bexley were undoubtedly having the better of it, City, although under pressure, were probably looking a bit more composed and more able to cope than of late.
Having said that, Bexley then missed a good chance to open the scoring when a neat pull-back from Spencer fell to Ned Kelly but wastefully, he could only chop his effort well over the bar from just inside the box. City saw off another corner with the same tactics and an attacking free-kick before a Tingley shot was well pouched by Lumpkin. With four minutes of the half remaining, stand-in manager Ade Gower made two substitutions swapping two attackers for two others and one of those, Camron Haswell almost opened up the Bexley defence but ran out of room and time as he tried earnestly to find a gap to shoot from. As the half wound up, City survived another couple of corners with their four up policy and also saw Spencer shoot wide on the turn, so when the break came, there were no goals, but an intriguing match so far left plenty to discuss as temporary shelter from the windy conditions – at least for a few minutes, was sought.
The second-half took a few minutes to get going but Woodcock rolled a shot harmlessly wide of the City goal and then Lumpkin was called into action three times in quick succession. Firstly, he denied Howard with a half-dive to his left to push the ball out for an in-swinging and wind assisted corner from which he had to tip the ball over as it threatened to dip in just under the bar, before then making another over-the-bar save as Tingley rifled in an effort after cutting inside from the right.
Lumpkin made another smart stop to deny Tingley again, while he and his defenders then also dealt with further corners and some long throws that were being hurled in right to the centre of the box, somehow appearing to suddenly lose some of the static hesitancy that has dogged some of the defending in recent weeks!
On sixty-five minutes, the deadlock was finally broken and it was City that took the lead – and what a goal it was! Haswell was driving forward and inward from the left trying to find some shooting space before the ball ran away from him and loose – only for Uta to see it, stride forward and, with composure and control abound, he absolutely hammered it in to the top corner from around twenty-five yards giving Carnell-Harris not a sniff as the ball rocketed past him and in to the net for 1-0 – a fabulous strike and another for the Uta collection!
Cheekily, Sam Ryan then tried to score from the restart shooting from halfway, but Lumpkin was aware and alert and watched the ball sail just too high and too wide to be of any concern. Another couple of long throws were robustly rebutted by City including yet another Lumpkin save before City then doubled their lead on seventy-four minutes when they were awarded a penalty. Freddie Kemp had picked and plotted his way through the Bexley ranks skipping three or four challenges before he was finally tripped just inside the box as he threatened to strike. With the weight of the season so far probably on his shoulders, with his team in front and all desperately hoping for another goal to possibly help secure a precious victory, Camron Haswell stepped up and calmly and coolly slotted the spot-kick home whilst sending the keeper the wrong way for 2-0.
As good as that felt, City had already surrendered two similar leads this season so at that stage, no chickens were being counted but to be fair to Bexley, they set about trying to rectify the scoreline and they certainly weren’t throwing in the towel as the chances soon came!
Duffus headed wide from a free-kick, Howard saw his side-footer well grabbed by Lumpkin and substitute Owen Tingley somehow got a free-header but could only glance Woodcock’s cross narrowly wide. City were still trying for a third, but Uta’s effort was well wide of the angle while Dan Haswell then volleyed a spinning ball wide on the run.
Bexley were unlucky not to get something back when Owen Tingley was clear through but could only stub his shot straight at the grateful Lumpkin, while Woodcock then went close – guiding another long throw just wide of the City upright from close range. It was starting to get a bit nervy from a City point of view as Uta then fired wide and Lumpkin made a good claim to pluck Woodcock’s dangerous looking ball in to safety.
With the game having just ticked past the ninetieth minute, Bexley cranked the City nerves up another notch when Blundell picked up a loose ball in midfield and made a quick dart forward before firing home from outside the box and, with some aplomb, for 2-1.
Despite seven minutes of frantic added time, City dug in well and played the situation pretty much perfectly, allowing Bexley only one more unsuccessful corner and Duffus a long-range attempt that flew comfortably over the bar and finally, despite the fears and the nerves of those of us off the pitch at least, a much prized victory was won!
There would have been a queue of players in the frame for Man-of-the-Match but it was decided to award it to Arron Barker on debut which capped a fine overall performance from him.
Final score: Canterbury City 2 Bexley FC 1.