Probably a fair result in the end, but from the stands at least, this felt like two points lost rather than one gained for City, but at least disappointment about losing has improved to disappointment about not winning…

City took the lead twice but then couldn’t hold their opponents off later in the game despite having a man advantage after a Snodland red card and, not for the first time, ten v eleven seemed to favour the ten – a well versed but rather strange football oddity!

The game took a while to get going with a rather cautious start from both sides with City playing their first game under new manager Mark Towse and with a new formation to start his era off. City keeper Fin Lumpkin was quickly into action with some safe handling as a cross was whipped in from the left and a Snodland free-kick hoisted in from afar.

A nice move from City then ended with Mafany Makoge in on goal but he was thwarted by a strong blocking tackle at the expense of a corner from which Nishida Uta eventually smashed an effort across the face of the goal but wide from a narrowing angle. Lewis Jackson then shot straight at Lumpkin for Snodland as they recycled a corner, while at the other end, Uta’s low shot from distance was an easy save for home keeper Charlie Sayer.

City then took the lead on ten minutes when a ball from the back was latched onto by Daniel Ikem. He forced his way forward before meeting the keeper on the edge of the box, who combined with a back-tracking defender managed to part block Ikem’s initial effort, but the ball ran loose and with all parties grounded, it was Ikem that reacted the quickest to rise and stroke the ball into an emptyish net for 1-0.

Snodland tried to respond immediately and Harry Dawes did well to work himself into a good space but his effort thereafter lacked the promise of the build-up. They followed that with a trio of unsuccessful corners and then saw Jackson cut in from the left but his effort curled well away from the far post.

Most of the attacking play was coming from the hosts with City conceding a bit too much possession particularly in the middle of the park and more often than not causing themselves potentially awkward situations. Snodland’s Josh Gibson went close as his shot took a slight deflection requiring Lumpkin to dive away to his left and help the ball on its way and past the post.

On the half-hour, Snodland equalised when Ben Twist struck a free-kick from around twenty-seven yards that went past the wall and dipped and bounced right in front of Lumpkin’s dive thus deceiving the keeper and skipping into the net for 1-1.

Makoge then did well to break forward for City and get round the back, but his inviting low ball in, rolled right across the face of the Snodland goal with no-one there in a City shirt to tap it home. The hosts then earned another free-kick in an attacking position, but this time Twist’s effort was blocked by the wall and cleared.

Just five minutes after being pegged back, City retook the lead. Callum Haswell flicked the ball forward in the box but it clearly came off the arm of Tommy Whitnall and despite his frustrations and a check with the linesman a penalty was given. Haswell stepped up and as calm as last week, sent the keeper the wrong way and fired the ball home for 2-1.

There wasn’t too much to report from there up to the break although Farid Salifou strode forward for City before unleashing a crisp enough shot but it was still a fairly straightforward save for Sayer and the break then arrived with City a goal to the good.

The early impetus from the restart came from Snodland as Whitnall’s whipped in cross was well held by Lumpkin on the stretch while another low ball in deflected up off a City defender and fortunately landed on the roof of the net before City then had to defend another brace of corners.

Salifou then forced a save out of Sayer as he skipped in and out of a couple of challenges before shooting from distance only to see the keeper push the ball over his bar to safety. From the resulting corner, Ethan Farnham had a half-chance, but getting to the incoming ball first, he could only steer it just wide of the upright.

The game was opening up and increasing in pace as some nice play from Dawes saw him cut inside but curl his shot wide of the far post for Snodland, while for City, Dan Thomas got himself into a decent shooting position but had the ball nicked off his boot as he was about to pull the trigger. City then had a bit of a purple patch and had several opportunities to maybe extend their lead. Salifou put Thomas through on goal but a smart shot from the forward brought out a smarter save from Sayer, before Arron Barker’s fierce effort was beaten away by the keeper with Dan Haswell’s follow-up effort not strong enough to trouble him further.

City’s next attack saw Thomas break down the right and send in a low cross right in front of the goal for Givanni Wilson who looked certain to score, but from just a few yards out – and very close range, somehow Sayer bravely got something on the ball to deflect it up and over the Snodland bar. Another chance came and went for City as Wilson’s header from a corner lacked any pace and was easily stopped on the line and cleared.

On twenty-eight minutes, Snodland were reduced to ten men when Jamie Birchard  was sent off for an off the ball incident seen by the linesman. At that point, City a goal ahead and now a man to the good, should really have gone on to win the game but it was Snodland who went on to prosper! City had a couple of efforts straight off as a free-kick from Barker caused Sayer to dive swiftly across to make a good save – with Camron Haswell hitting the rebound across goal and wide of the far post.

From there, Snodland started to up the ante and City having dealt with a free-kick and a corner, were almost undone again as Twist’s next effort bounced up right in front of Lumpkin once more, but this time the keeper managed to claw the ball away to safety while diving to his right.

City tried to manage the game out making full use of the new rolling substitutes law, but Snodland looked very determined as Twist weaved in and out before seeing a tame effort gathered by Lumpkin, while Tyler Bell hit a handily placed free-kick straight at the City keeper. With ninety minutes on the watch, Snodland’s persistence paid off and the nervousness of the City faithful became justified when Bell attacked through the inside-right channel and was allowed to run far too far unchallenged as City backed off and backed off before the space opened up to get a shot off. That was beaten away by Lumpkin, but Alfie Champ, following in, pounced to thump the rebound home for 2-2.

Wilson and Camron Haswell combined to try and open Snodland up but were forced out of possession by sheer defensive numbers surrounding them as the game moved into a rather frantic and frenetic nine minutes of added time. Lumpkin saved from Bell, while City’s Fin Hayes then saw his shot deflected out for only a corner and despite City peppering the home goal with another corner, two free-kicks and a couple of long throws in that final extra period, they just could not prise their opponents apart the one more time that was needed as Snodland dug in and held onto what they had earned.

A good game to watch, probably fairly even over the ninety, but from the position they were in, City perhaps really should have been heading home with all the three points!

Final score: Snodland Town Reserves 2 Canterbury City 2