This Match Report is sponsored by  H&H Construction

The MJM Sports Surrey Premier League

Keens Park Rangers 3 Addlestone 2

Goals: Keanu, Wayne, Harry Scanlon

Man-of-the-match: Doug Noble

KPR’s home debut at the Spectrum ended up with a narrow, but entertaining, victory over visitors Addlestone to maintain the first team’s excellent start in the league.

Given the hiring of the new surroundings, KPR were charging admission for the very first time, with gatekeeper Crouchy providing a warm welcome for all of the official attendance of 33. While much of the committee chose to watch proceedings from the running track, KPR’s hooligan ‘firm’, aka The Thursday Murder Club, settled in the stand to take advantage of the elevated view of a match that saw KPR out of the blocks fastest.

Your name is down and you are coming in.

That said, KPR did so without actually creating a clear chance before the dimensions of the pitch, which were alien to both teams, started affecting the play as KPR got a little bit lost and gifted the opposition a good deal of possession as a result. Overall, however, it was honours even until Dan passed to Keanu inside the box, who then performed a brilliantly sharp turn before slotting the ball into the net off the far post to put KPR one up.

Ahead, and with the sun out and the wind at their backs, things were looking good, but Addlestone were not to be out fought, and they had two good chances soon after, the best being a header that crashed off the near post.

Spectrum is Green – ask yer dad if you don’t know.

KPR were certainly riding their luck, and, sure enough, a well worked equaliser, beginning down the left, saw the ball squared across the box before a point blank shot inside the six yard box left KPR’s keeper with no chance.

With news of the reserves thumping win (3-8), after their heavy defeat the previous week, filtering through on the WhatsApp all wasn’t lost and KPR began to dominate once again with the bulk of play happening in the visitors last third. Again, there was very little end product until just before the end of the half when a ball over the top set Keanu in on goal only for him the lift the ball over the bar as well as the keeper.

The second half saw the heavens open and the touch line support retiring to the directors box while the TMC (‘Mad Dog’ Woods, ‘Elbows’ Cork, H, and Pete ‘The Street’) sheltering in the stands while the stalemate continued until substitutions from both sides mixed things up.

Watch out! It’s The Thursday Murder Club!!

The ever popular Courage coming on certainly injected pace on the right to complement Keanu’s on the left, and he soon got goal-side, first bringing out some good handling from the visiting keeper before a very good tip over the bar from a well struck shot.

There was nothing the keeper could do about the next attempt, however, after the ball traversed across the box to be met by Wayne, who brought the ball under control on the run to get between the defenders to place a very simple side foot shot beyond the flailing keeper.

All eyes on Rory.

Once again KPR failed to hold onto the lead, as the visitors got a second equaliser after KPR failed to clear their lines and the subsequent shot bouncing back off the post and into the path of their oncoming striker who had the easiest finish of the match. With much huffing and puffing, on both sides, as the game entered its final stages KPR brought on Sam, Dougal and Mikey.

Of the three it was Dougal who made the most immediate, and greatest, impact in bringing the energy the midfield needed in starting the move that, ultimately, led to the throw-in that travelled across the box until it reached Harry Scalnon who gleefully passed it into the net and spurring fulsome celebrations.

The visitors, no doubt feeling hard done by, threw everything – including their keeper – at getting an equaliser, but time ran out on them. While they rode their luck, KPR just about deserved all three points. Well done both teams! 

 

This Match Report is sponsored by  H&H Construction