This game
kicked off 25 minutes late, which had me getting nervous about the immediate trip
to King’s Lynn. (Happy ending follows
in the next post!) The first
quarter-hour was pretty even, with both teams seeming to struggle to play
their best football. I suppose the
county of Norfolk is famous for turkeys, and perhaps plenty had been consumed
yesterday – plus it was a bit breezy.
Here’s a scene-setter clip from midway through the first half which
finishes with a chance for the visitors. United are in the yellow & blue.
My
clockwatching anxieties increased as several players needed either lengthy
treatment or lengthy lectures from the ref, who became a central figure in
proceedings with his yellow card. The second clip also ends
with an away chance.
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Another casualty |
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The good old-fashioned fully didactic ref-lecture technique |
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Yet another casualty |
To be
brutally honest, it was a very forgettable first half with five added minutes. 0-0
at half-time
The home
side improved somewhat after the break.
Smith, the visiting goalie, blocked well after Tom Mustapha (formerly
of Hitchin Town) had used his physical strength to set up a chance. They went close from this corner …
However,
K&P were really unlucky not to take the lead just before the hour
mark. A deflected shot ballooned
upwards, and the keeper Ben Nower could only watch as it looped over him and
dropped on top of the bar before bouncing over. Then K&P fullback Joe Bell sent in a
good ball which Grint, stretching, sent narrowly over. (Bell is listed in the programme as “defiantly
one to watch for this season”.) United
then had two decent chances of their own – Smith tipped over a 20-yard shot from
Mustapha and was then fortunate that a placed shot from the corner was slow
enough for him to reach.
For the
second successive hop, I saw a Christmas gift of a goal. Nower should have caught a bouncing through
ball easily enough but his mistake presented Stock with an unmissable chance
after 65 minutes. 0-1
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Nower has the chance for solitary contemplation in the 66th minute |
Fullback
Andrew Key had been taking all the home set pieces and he had the first
chance to equalise – but his direct free-kick was tipped over by Smith. The next clip is taken from this phase of
the match – United were pressing for the equaliser but K&P were
threatening on the break.
After 86
minutes, the whistle went for a United penalty. Even the home players seemed surprised but
the ref was clear that fullback Chris Bond had committed a foul. Key stepped up, but Smith dived to his
right to push the ball away.
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Smith is about to dive right, which is right. |
However,
the chance to atone came only moments later. Key's cross from the left wing was
headed in by defender Adrian Ager. 1-1
The tide
turned immediately and the home side tried to win it, and my final clip comes
from just before the final whistle. Not
a great game, but probably a fair result.
Final score 1-1
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