A disappointing and deflating afternoon for City well beaten by second bottom Meridian VP away from home.

The hosts, one of only two clubs below City in the league table, raced into a four-nil lead before half-time and at that point were looking as if it could easily run to six or seven. City made some changes at the break however and were far better defensively in the second-half but with a lack of anything really decisive or incisive going forward, the damage had already long been done.

The first goal came in just the fifth minute and had a touch of fortune about it. Kiyan Pinnock and Michael Ogunbo formed a two pronged Meridian attack that was initially well thwarted by a City block but the ball deflected away from them all and fell nicely to Danne Ruiz who was up in support and he gained the benefit by slotting the loose ball home, past City keeper Tom Roberts, for 0-1.

A scrappy period followed with both sides hurrying and scurrying around with neither getting too far before a pattern of play really began to develop. This saw City struggling defensively with the pace and tenacity of the Meridian attack and with the majority of the direction of play going firmly towards Roberts and his goal.  

Ogunbo was one of the main threats but after latching onto a big bouncing clearance and getting clear, he erroneously played the ball into no-man’s land and it rolled out for a goal-kick. Pinnock then matched that when his half-break down the left found some space, but a poor cross also just drifted out before the same player turned neatly just inside the City box but fired the ball a yard or so wide.

The attacks kept coming and Pinnock was next to test the City goal when he broke through the inside-right channel before striking across the goal and wide of the far post with Roberts on the full dive. There was a brief respite for City when Taj Oliva broke forward, but he was always under pressure and the attack dissolved as he eventually ran out of pitch.

Meridian doubled their lead on twenty-five minutes when Ogunbo’s ball towards the edge of the box found Pinnock and after a tussle with Keiran Bartlett, the striker got the better of him before steering the ball neatly into the far side of the net for 0-2.

The pressure continued to build and City’s goal was almost under siege. Timmy Babbington’s snap shot was well saved down low by Roberts before Malik Morris did well to block a Pinnock effort at the expense of a corner. That nearly caused City to concede again as the ball reached Obungo at the far post and faced with a very static looking defence he really should have scored number three from close range. His next scooped effort moments later brought a fairly easy save from Roberts but although City tried to get forward, the tide of play was definitely still surging towards their end.

The hosts were looking strong for a third and that probably should have come from Pinnock this time who was clean through while chasing a high ball forward and having easily out-paced the City backline, he somehow fired wide of the angle with just the retreating Roberts to beat.

It wasn’t until the thirty-ninth minute that City troubled the home goal to any real degree when Tristan Belsey’s piled in free-kick was well gloved at head height by keeper Tom Pine-Coffin before Harry Uttley then saw an effort blocked and cleared.

With two minutes to go before the break, Pinnock bagged his second and finally Meridian’s third as he shrugged off a challenge to find some space behind the defence before striking low past Roberts for 0-3.

In first-half stoppage time, the home side scored again when Obungo deservedly got his name on the scoresheet, running along the edge of the box before firing home with a little too much ease for 0-4.

A sobering first-half then soon ended and it was one totally contradictory with the way City have played over the last month but unfortunately, matching most of the rest of the season that had gone beforehand!

Staring down the barrel of another even bigger defeat, changes were made at the break and City’s second-half was far better defensively, although they still suffered with a complete lack of any cutting edge in attack. Meridian didn’t appear to ease up, City just defended better and to some credit, they did manage to keep them out at least for the whole of the second period.

Roberts did well to thwart Obungo at the second attempt after the striker had originally forced his way clear and then made a good, strong blocking save to deny him again moments later. City had some chances to create something but a free-kick, two corners and an attacking long throw all passed them by without troubling Pine-Coffin and Roberts remained the busier keeper with a good blocking save to push out Obungo’s forceful shot.

Substitute Alfie Buckley then saw a long-range effort fly well past the City angle and Obungo’s strike was well blocked by Harvey Caldwell before Buckley again missed the target when well placed before seeing another from distance fly well over the City goal.

City remained on the backfoot for most of the half although late-on a nice one-two in attack between Oliva and Farid Salifou saw the latter’s shot pushed past the post by Pine-Coffin, before Israel Oyetunji fired over the Meridian bar as City did at least finish the game on the attack.

The defeat leaves City fourteen points adrift of the last safe place having played five games more than the team that currently occupy it. With only having nine games left to play, it’s clearly going to take the turnaround of all turnarounds to dig themselves out of this one!

Final score: Meridian VP 4 Canterbury City 0.