Another defeat for City as they helped kick-off Kent County League Day with an away trip to Kings Hill.

They competed really well in the first-half and found themselves with a two-nil lead despite the hosts twice hitting the woodwork. Unfortunately a deflected effort got Kings Hill on the score-sheet just before the break and when they re-emerged from the dressing room, they looked far more robust and in sync than they had for some of the first forty-five minutes. The momentum was then soon growing in their favour and once they’d established their own two goal lead, there was no way back for City as Kings Hill cleverly managed and choked the game time away completely blunting City’s hurry in the process!

Before all that though, with Remembrance Sunday tomorrow, there was of course a period of impeccably observed silence as both teams gathered around the centre circle and a cloak of quiet and thought enveloped the ground – always a touching moment, the significance of which should never be over-looked or allowed to be forgotten!!

It was a very busy first-half and there were chances at both ends and looking back, any score up to about three-all could have been possible at the break.

Kings Hill by far had the better of the opening exchanges as an early corner saw Max Sutton have a shot blocked while Ryan Young saw his follow up from the rebound comfortably taken by City keeper George Pipkin. MacKenzie Gardner then forced Pipkin into a more difficult stop, before he safely gathered Will Seage’s piercing low cross zipped in from the right.

City then had a narrow escape when Seage was slipped in with a very good diagonal forward pass but Pipkin was quickly out to block the effort and was then fortunate to see the ball bounce off him before looping up and clipping the outside of the post to safety. Just a minute later, Seage was through again in similar fashion, but with Pipkin rapidly bearing down on him, his effort lacked any power and drifted well wide of the far post.

City responded as Farid Salifou had a shot blocked while Israel Oyetunji’s first-time strike of the rebound, was fairly straightforward for home keeper Harvey Mills. Seage was already proving to be a thorn in City’s side and he went close again sending a glancing header from a  James Cheeseman free-kick narrowly wide. A minute later he was thwarted once more when breaking through over on the left, his decent strike saw Pipkin get his finger-tips to it before it thumped against the face of the cross-bar – another close escape for City!

Despite their dominance going forward, there were one or two loose passes and some clearly frustrated and exasperated conversations going on in the home defence and City were soon to capitalise on a Kings Hill lapse when, in the nineteenth minute they took the lead. Daniel Ikem pounced to steal a loose ball from a misdirected pass and then quickly raided the box before slotting home past Mills for 1-0 – a clear home error and definitely against the run of play, but still gratefully received!

The hosts soon had an opportunity to level though when a free-kick from the left was hoisted in and headed back out but fell nicely for Joe Lawrence to hit, but his good looking first-time volley pinged just wide. City were gradually getting more of the possession and Salifou curled in a lovely ball that just evaded Mafany Makoge charging in, before a Mark Towse low free-kick seemed to split the Kings Hill defence – but was just retrieved by Mills as Dan Haswell came sprinting in after it. A home free-kick was then well struck by Gardner but arrowed just over the bar, before on thirty-one minutes, City extended their lead.

Salifou broke well down the left before playing the ball back to Towse and his first-time, sweetly hit cross was perfect for Makoge to head back across goal and then for Ikem to powerfully head directly home despite Mills quickly flying out to try and disrupt him.

City’s two-goal lead was soon reduced though when Pipkin was chipped over on the left and the ball fell into space in the box and then found Seage who looked certain to score – but Tyler Lee made a brilliant block on the line and was then really unlucky to see the ball cannon back in Seage’s direction who drilled it back goal-bound where it took a big deflection before flying into the City net for 2-1.

All of a sudden Kings Hill seemed energised and they looked decidedly determined. Some rather harsh and strong challenges started coming in from them and they were probably lucky to get away with not receiving any yellow cards for at least two or three of these. One of which was when Ikem turned his marker near the corner of the box before being brought down – just a free-kick although he would have been through on goal had the foul not occurred! City couldn’t prosper from the resultant kick however, as Towse’s direct effort flew straight into the gloves of Mills.

In stoppage time, City had a big penalty appeal ignored as Ikem again went down, this time in the box and under a heavy challenge and well placed, but the referee glanced over to her assistant and then waved City’s pleas away, before the break arrived soon after with City still the one goal ahead, but momentum definitely looking as if it were firmly with the hosts.

In fairness, immediately after the restart, Kings Hill were equally adamant that they should have had a penalty – this time for an apparent handball, but again nothing was given before Gardner then had a good chance to level things up but when though on goal, he rolled the ball past the advancing Pipkin but also past the far post. He went closer still just moments later when again through to the edge of the box his shot was brilliantly saved by Pipkin down low to his left from very close range just at the expense of a corner. That could have proved fruitful but Young’s free header from there was straight at and safely taken by Pipkin.

On fifty-three minutes, Kings Hill equalised. George Sibley’s low ball in from the right should have been cut out and cleared but it was missed and then fell invitingly at the feet of Gardner who had no problem in quickly firing it past Pipkin for 2-2.

Just ten minutes later, the home side took the lead when a neat free-kick was dinked in by Sibley through a crowded box and stabbed home from close range by Gardner for his second and King Hills’ third.

City hardly had time to draw breath when a fourth arrived as Vinchenzo Wade tried to chip the ball over the advancing Pipkin, but despite the keeper getting a big hand on it, it dropped over him and downward, dribbling into the City net for 2-4.

The remaining twenty-five minutes were pretty much all City scurrying around desperately trying to get back into the game and Kings Hill mindfully and purposefully and, to be fair – understandably, just killing it off and slowing everything down.

Wade shot wide for the hosts, while for City, Sean Mundoma’s effort also missed the target, Charlie Keyte’s freekick was safely taken by Mills while Mundoma and Dan Thomas almost prised King Hills open but probably only ended up thwarting each other.

King Hills pressed with a trio of corners as Pipkin denied Keaton Courtman tipping his direct header just over the City bar before Wade went close, faintly glancing another header narrowly wide.

There were numerous stoppages and substitutions during this final period – which did nothing for the game except allow Kings Hill further excuse to just mix it up and kill it off and fairly safely – in the end, bagging all the three points.

Images courtesy of Laurence Reade