Clinical K's Continue Good Start to Season
If you just look at the scoreline, you'd think that this was a completely one-sided game of football with the visitors clad in bottle green easing to victory. Not the case at all. This was a game in which Kingstonian stayed disciplined throughout, defended superbly well under pressure and was clinical in front of goal. Walton and Hersham for their part, made the game a genuine contest, created chances and threatened throughout but found Joshua Lohmeier and his back four to be in top form.
After an even start to the game, Kingstonian took the lead in the 15th minute - the Swans were only able to half clear a shot from Blake Mitchell at the edge of the area, then Iker Noguera Leon's shot at goal took a heavy deflection straight into the path of Marco Haigh who was able to score from close range despite the best efforts of Walton goalkeeper Theo Rush nearly clawing the ball off the line.
Arguably the turning point in the game came in the second minute of added time in the first half. K's had nearly benefitted from a couple of close offside calls in the previous few minutes but this time it was a brilliant run from deep in midfield that caused the damage. A swift counter down the middle of the field saw a ball threaded forwards by Noguera Leon, the Swans defence had stopped as Blake Mitchell and Deniz Ozer were offside (or very close to it), so Marco Haigh dashed in from the midfield, was absolutely not offside, took a touch and slid the ball home. There was barely time to re-start the half, a big blow delivered by the visitors.
Goal number three arrived in the 58th minute and was a first goal of the season from Blake Mitchell. K's won a corner down their left wing, Freddie Bailey swung the ball into the box, keeper Rush made a fine save from Deniz Ozer's initial try at goal but the ball fell nicely to Mitchell, who was able to force the ball across the line.
An unusual thing in modern football led to Kingstonian's fourth, which arrived in the 69th minute - from a contested drop ball, K's won possession, and quicker than you can say the word floccinaucinihilipilification, Marco Haigh played Deniz Ozer in, and he finished superbly almost before the Swans could react.
Walton and Hersham's hard work was, unfortunately for them, coming undeservedly to naught, and in the last ten minutes as they tired, it became Iker time. In the 82nd minute, the fifth Kingstonian goal came from what looked like a training ground move - a short corner from Noguera Leon found Bailey, who slid the ball into the penalty area back to the corner taker, and he smashed the ball past the blameless Swans goalkeeper from an acute angle.
Finally, with practically the last action of the game, Kingstonian's number seven scored another one of his average, every day, ho-hum, ordinary, sensational individual goals when he picked up possession on the right sideline, ghosted past a number of defenders and blasted the ball home. Clinical stuff from Kingstonian, deserving winners though the scoreline was very harsh on Walton and Hersham.
Next week, at a time and venue soon to be confirmed, Kingstonian will host Worthing in the FA Youth Cup First Qualifying Round in what is sure to be a fantastic tie - even though K's have been impressive in their first four games this season, the amplifier will have to go up to eleven for this contest.
