KS SHOULD HAVE HAD A HATFUL.

Bishop's Stortford 0, Kingstonian 1.

Unbeaten this year, Kingstonian fully deserved all three Ryman League Premier Division points at Ware last Saturday with a competitive and committed display that should have produced more goals.

Manager Geoff Chapple had skipper Terry Evans and influential midfielder Gary Patterson suspended so he flew Jeff Wrightson from Newcastle again and started Scott Corbett, who went on to score a goal of real quality. But it was Dean Hooper's pace and agility that was the key to Ks' victory.

An early Hooper cross seemed to be going out but bounced back into play for David Leworthy to shoot from an acute angle that was smothered by keeper Gavin King.

After nine minutes a Neville Roach cross found Eddie Akuamoah, who headed over. Then a Hooper free-kick beat everybody in the box including King but went just wide.

After a quarter of an hour Hooper ran the length of the park and set up Roach on the right whose cross found an unmarked Leworthy, but he could only head into King's arms. A minute later Matt Crossley swung in a high cross which Hooper who volleyed across the face of the goal.

After 20 minutes Roach latched on to a long ball but was blocked by keeper King and defender Stuart Wardley who then collided. The ball ran free to Akuamoah whose 20 yard lob went wide.

Four minutes later Ks should have made the breakthrough when Stortford defender Martin Sedgwick tried to let the ball run out for a goal-kick but Danny Smith hooked it over to Hooper whose blast seemed goalbound but for an unlucky deflection.

The home side had their best chance when Scott Forbes set up striker David Adekola, with only keeper Stuart Mackenzie to beat - but Wrightson made a brilliant tackle, and Mackenzie collected the loose ball.

After 37 minutes Geoff Pitcher set up Leworthy who raced into the box and his low, hard drive was well blocked by King. Ks finished the half with a Colin Luckett cross that reached Roach, who volleyed over.

While Stortford wait for their new ground to be completed they are sharing with St Albans and Ware so they have very little home advantage in front of a tiny crowd, but at the start of the second half they did show signs of a revival.

Day got his head to a far post cross only to see Crossley clear it off the line; this was to be the home side's last real chance.

Minutes later a Pitcher free-kick saw Wrightson rise above the home defence and his fierce header was just tipped away by King. After 62 minutes Adekola blasted wide from 30 yards and two minutes later Ks got the winner.

Stortford had pushed everyone up for a corner, so Ks' quick counter-attack caught them on the hop. Hooper powered down the wing and crossed to Scott Corbett who headed home out of the reach of a despairing King.

Ks went all out for a second to wrap the game up and an awkward Roach cross was scraped away from under the bar by King.

With a quarter of an hour to go Wardley dropped a long throw deep inside Ks' box. It bounced awkwardly and there were strong appeals for handball, but referee Mr Reynolds was unimpressed.

With seven minutes remaining Roach put a through ball to Leworthy, who outpaced the defenders only for King to come racing out of his area.

The keeper looked favourite to reach the ball first but he missed it leaving Leworthy to race towards an empty goal. But a defender racing into the goalmouth must have spooked him as he shot wide.

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