K's Advance in the FA Youth Cup
Kingstonian's Under 18s 2022-23 season got off to a flying start as they defeated Badshot Lea 6-0 in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Youth Cup.
The match, a home tie but played at Bedfont Sports FC directly under the path of departing airplanes taking off from Heathrow Airport almost literally across the road, was started in a thunderstorm but it was the Kingstonian forwards, and not the flashes of lightning, that were the more spectacular.
The goal action began quickly; in the third minute a lovely through ball by Minkyu Ji found Iker Noguera Leon, who rounded the keeper but saw his shot brilliantly cleared off the line and eventually out for a goal kick. From there, however, K's immediately re-took possession, the ball came back to Noguera Leon, who smashed the ball home from around 25 yards.
The lead was doubled with another long-range effort in the fourteenth minute thanks to a fine individual goal from Minkyu Ji, who received possession at the edge of the penalty area, jinked past a defender and hit an equally impressive shot with power into the back of the net. The same player scored Kingstonian's third goal in the twentieth minute, this time with a shot from just inside the area that proved too much for the opposing goalkeeper.
The goals came thick, fast and frequently in the first half, and goal number four came in the 25th minute from another sustained attack and another long-range effort, this time from Marco Haigh, whose lazy-looking blast was anything but as it screamed into the back of the net from just over twenty yards out.
The first half goal-fest was completed in the 32nd minute as a result of yet another outside-the-box effort from Marco Haigh was brilliantly parried by the Badshot Lea goalkeeper, but unfortunately for him the ball fell nicely to Freddie Bailey whose first-time finish on the rebound was flawless.
"Only" the one goal came in the second half came in the 56th minute from a corner kick, a header from the edge of the box was deflected into the path of Marco Haigh, who turned and shot home from ten yards out for his team's sixth goal. There was no further scoring, but it wasn't for the want of trying by the Kingstonian players, who carved out chance after chance but found a Badshot Lea goalkeeper who was in inspired form.
So, a satisfactory first game of the season for the under 18s as they advanced to the Preliminary Round of the FA Youth Cup, where they will visit Ash United. The game will take place at Young's Drive week commencing 29th August - we will publicise the date and kick-off time as soon as possible. Next up is a game on Monday 22nd August as K's begin their campaign in the Isthmian Youth League Central Division and a trip to Chipstead, kick-off will be 7.30pm.
