For the second week running and the third time in four, City succumbed to a single goal defeat in a tight match that they could possibly have got something out of.

That sentence alone shows some improvement and if you add to that the win against Kent United, you could possibly argue that this is City’s best if not closest and tightest four game spell of the season so far – albeit the bar is quite low!

Anoyingly they trailed nil-two at the break which was a lead Long Lane hadn’t really had to do anything particularly special or work that hard to achieve. Changes at the break brought a bit more impetus and bite into City going forward and they managed to drag the game back to two-all before falling to an unanswered killer third from the hosts that ultimately settled the points.

A steady start from both sides saw a fairly tight to-and-fro contest right from the kick-off, although an audacious lob from near halfway from Long Lane’s Azeez Itanola had City keeper George Pipkin back-pedalling but fairly comfortable with the eventual claim. At the other end, City’s Dan Ikem charged down a clearance from home keeper Adam Lawler that rebounded back and over the bar, while a break down the left from Itanola saw a shot piled into the side netting.

Kyle Bingley then saw his effort blocked for the hosts with Itanola rolling the rebound wide of the far post, before Pipkin was called into action with a smart stop at very close quarters to deny Joe Lawrence. Danny Martin volleyed over the bar for City while a flicked on home long-throw was well defended by Charlie Keyte at the far post.

Bingley then saw a long low effort deflected away by a City block, before the visitors just survived a bit of a scramble from an attacking Long Lane free-kick.

Even so, it was City that almost opened the scoring although it would have been a little fortunate if they had, when a ball in from Jacob Couzens was headed goalwards by Aaron Barker and took a big nick off the body of Freddy Fay almost wrong-footing Lawler in the process, but somehow the keeper got down to his left to palm the ball away at full stetch and out for a corner. It was an excellent reaction save to an unexpected deflection and full credit to the keeper but how badly could City have done with just a bit of a luck running their way for a change!!

Over the next ten minutes or so, City forged forward winning four corners, but with Lawler clawing two away and easily catching another, they weren’t able to create a clear chance from any of these opportunities and when Jake Lemar’s through ball just ran away from Sam Odiase as he closed in on the Long Lane goal, another possible opening for them had faded away.

On thirty-five minutes, Long Lane took the lead when a recycled corner was sent back in with the ball coming across and off a City defender before running loose and allowing Bingley to steal in and slot home from close range for 0-1. A simple finish and yet another far too easily conceded goal to add to City’s collection!

It was certainly a knock back for the visitors and they hardly had time to respond when just five minutes later, they conceded a second. A free-kick sent in from the left was headed up and around three or four times but not cleared before falling to the floor in the box and after a couple of half-shots and blocks, again the ball ran loose and this time centre-half Owen Ferrigan was quickest to react firing home from close range yet again for 0-2.

City did respond well though and tried to get a foothold back in the game and in the closing moments of the half had three further corners and an Odiase cross all claimed by the keeper or cleared without there being any real threat on goal. Their best chance in that period came when Ikem broke down the left and found Martin who tried to back-flick it towards goal but after initially claiming the ball, Lawler allowed it to slip from his grasp and out for one of the unsuccessful corners.

So City two down at the break and with Long Lane looking solid and comfortable and seemingly playing with one or two gears to spare, it looked a long way back for the visitors…

Four changes at the break from City showed some intent and although it took a while for them to get going again, Long Lane with their two goal lead, probably helped them do it as they didn’t seem too worried about picking up the pace themselves after the restart and were allowing the game to drift.

Two of City’s changes had the first chances of the half with Cuba Gill’s weak shot saved by Lawler and Harry Linford’s firmer effort being blocked but other than this there was little else to note until City grabbed a goal back just past the hour mark. Martin won the ball for them out on the left and with a quick dart forward towards the box he picked out Gill who in turn quickly stroked the ball low and past the advancing Lawler for 1-2 and all of a sudden it looked possibly game on!

Gill then almost pounced to make it two, but chasing a through ball he was just beaten to it by inches as Lawler sprinted out to hurriedly hoof the ball clear from just outside his box. Frustratingly yet another corner then passed City by without any goal threat, but they were soon to equalise when Gill bustled and battled his way through down the middle before finding Linford, who under pressure, calmly and with great composure slotted the ball past Lawler for 2-2 and City’s first two-goal haul in seven games!

With fifteen minutes still to play, Long Lane had to respond and they began to find the extra gear or two they’d previously hadn’t used. Jeremy Okine broke through on goal on the left and rolled the ball across the City goal and wide of the far post before he charged down a Pipkin clearance that saw the ball rebound and spin back in the general direction of the goal, but with the keeper able to safely retrieve it before any harm could be done.

Suddenly, City were looking all awry and they were indebted to Pipkin for a great point-blank save to deny Chiriseri Oliver who looked certain to score and then minutes later another great spreading save to thwart Lewis Potter-Scarborough who somehow had scythed his way through the City ranks taking him all the way to goal with the ball, before Reon Sailes then blasted the rebound over the City bar

It wasn’t all the hosts though as Linford and Martin almost forced their way through to Long Lane’s goal, while an attacking free-kick from Barker was safely fielded by Lawler, but even so, you just felt that the hosts were looking the likeliest to grab a winner.

Sure enough, on eighty-four minutes, City conceded possession out on the left and it was fed through to Sailes who fired past Pipkin for 2-3.

Needless to say the final few minutes were frantic and frenetic as City desperately tried to level the game up but although Gill tried to lob Lawler from distance, they couldn’t really fashion anything close to scoring and it was the hosts that had the better chances to score as Pipkin saved from Bingley and Sailes saw a shot charged down. It all left Long Lane victorious at the final whistle with City looking at what maybe could have been, but also with the feeling that the home side always had some spare in the tank to call on…

Final score: Long Lane 3 Canterbury City 2