CCL League Cup Quarter-Final Match Report
The season that never ends goes on and on and on and on and on. As the middle of May approaches, K's are still in three cup competitions after a fine 6-1 victory at the Wibbandune Sports Ground against Colliers Wood United (West). It means that K's have now beaten both Colliers Wood United teams in this particular cup run, having beaten the East Division squad in the previous round.
The last time these two particular teams met was a couple of months back at the Wibbandune, ending in Kingstonian's only defeat so far this season in the CCL West in a match that saw K's create so many chances without actually converting one thanks to a fantastic defensive performance by the hosts.
This time, though, K's were ruthless and effectively had the game won shortly before half time. The first goal arrived in the tenth minute, some nice quick passing around the edge of the penalty area finished with a pass from Adelino Sampaio to Iker Noguera Leon, whose shot squeaked past the Colliers Wood goalkeeper at the near post and the K's were off and running. The lead was nearly doubled a minute later when a Freddie Bailey free kick was fed to the goalscorer Noguera Leon, and his shot was superbly saved at full stretch.
However, the lead was extended in the 20th minute, and it was a bit of a weird one as Noguera Leon ballooned a cross from the right, the ball was extremely awkward for the Colliers Wood goalkeeper, who, under pressure, allowed the ball to bounce close to the line and Marco Haigh was able to score from the most spectacular overhead kick about an inch out from goal. Not textbook stuff, but it doesn't matter.
The first half of the game was being played in torrential rain, and, considering that there had been a match at the Wibbandune the previous night when the rain was several levels heavier, the pitch coped really very well and still allowed the teams to play good football throughout despite the abuse Mother Nature inflicted on to it over the previous 24-48 hours.
Kingstonian kept their feet fully down on the accelerator and was created once again in the 38th minute by Iker Noguera Leon who produced a mazy run on the touchline that carried him into the penalty area, his shot was well saved by the Colliers Wood keeper but the rebound fell nicely to the fast reacting Lewis Gould, who tapped home into an empty net. And almost straight from the kick-off, K's produced a move in the 41st minute when Freddie Bailey drove a shot into the back of the net from daft distance. Four-nil at the break, a thoroughly ruthless forty-five minutes by the lads in hoops.
Four became five in the 56th minute when some fine work down the right by Adelino Sampaio ended with him crossing the ball into the box - Marco Haigh beat substitute Fourat Jomaa to the ball, he steaded himself and blasted a shot into the far corner his 30th goal of the season for the K's. Colliers Wood United got one goal back three minutes later when a slick move down the centre split the K's defence down the middle and a quick shot from the centre forward found the back of the net.
As the rain thankfully began to recede, the game quietened down a bit, not so much in intensity as the tackles were still flying in at times but there wasn't too much in the way of goal action. Finally, in the third minute of added time Eren Hincal tried his luck from long range and scored his first goal for the K's, giving his side a resounding 6-1 victory.
Next up in this competition is a home tie against Raynes Park Vale, recently crowned champions of the East Division of the Combined Counties League Youth section. The game takes place on Monday 22nd May at South Park FC, kicking off at 7.45pm and ought to be a cracking cup tie.
Before then, there are two cracking cup ties coming up next week - on Monday night we face South Park in the final of the Surrey U18s Midweek Cup at the Meadowbank in Dorking. Kick-off for that is 7.30pm. Both games against the Sparks in the Isthmian Youth League were hard-fought close affairs, you can expect no different this time out. Also expected to be a hard-fought, close affair is the Grant McLellan Cup Semi-Final on Thursday night as the K's travel to Stag Meadow to play Windsor. Kick-off again is 7.45pm - the winners of that play the winners of a tie between Jersey Bulls and Camberley Town in the final, which is scheduled for Wednesday 24th May at CB Hounslow United FC.
