Ryman South top scorer Bobby Traynor netted twice for Kingstonian as they edged past Godalming in front of a bumper crowd at Wey Court. Godalming managed to get a goal back, but it was no more than a consolation as Kingstonian continued their push for automatic promotion.
Godalming’s best period of the game was the first twenty minutes as they shocked Kingstonian with a flurry of chances that really should have delivered a goal or two. First, Benson Paka was played through into a one-on-one situation with keeper Luke Garrard who saved first from Paka and then from Brahim Eloumani. Kingstonian threatened for the first time with Tom Dilloway’s free kick being palmed away by Rodney Chiweshe before Godalming had a great chance to take the lead. Graeme Purdy did brilliantly to rob Dilloway of the ball before playing in Eloumani who shot over the crossbar despite having time and space to slot the ball past the exposed Garrard. However Godalming ultimately came to rue those golden chances when Kingstonian took the lead on twenty minutes from the penalty spot. The tricky Dean Lodge was tripped by the flailing hand of Rodney Chiweshe inside the penalty box and Bobby Traylor stepped up to side foot the ball into the corner of the net despite Chiweshe diving the right way. Godalming’s chances after the goal dried up and it was Kingstonian who took control of the game with Lodge forcing a good save out of Chiweshe, the rebound cleared by Victor Kiri. Godalming threatened again just before the half time whistle by a bobbling shot from James Mariner deflected just wide of Garrard’s far post and from the resulting corner Paka went close with a shot that was well dealt with the confident Garrard.
After the break, the game, which had been competitive and lively throughout the first half, deteriorated and Kingstonian were happy to slow things down, stifling the chances and possession that Godalming received. Chuck Martini tried to shake things up a bit with the double introduction of Adam Haddad and fit-again Kenny Ojukwu but Kingstonian still remained on top with Traynor hitting the goal post from Lodge’s ball across the penalty box. Moments after being denied by the goal post, the prolific and lethal Traynor scored his second of the game with a header from Neil Lampton’s corner to assure Kingstonian of the three points.
Kingstonian looked to have the won the game already, even with twenty five minutes to go with Godalming having to rely on punts forward to generate any respite from the constant Kingstonian threat and to create any chances on goal for themselves. With ten minutes to go, Rodney Chiweshe was forced off due to injury and was replaced by Garry Aulsberry in goal. Godalming made sure that the last ten minutes would not be dull by scoring a consolation through Kenny Ojukwu. Andy Ottley delivered a dangerous ball into the box that evaded Graeme Purdy but was bundled into the net by Ojukwu for his twelfth goal of the season.
Godalming of course went all out for an equaliser but it was Kingstonian who came closest to another goal when Chris Wales gave the ball away to Simon Huckle who rounded Garry Aulsberry only to see his shot cleared off the line by Damian Matthews. In the end though Godalming’s golden chance to equalise never materialised; they had already taken their golden chances in the first twenty minutes and the final result meant that they would rue those missed chances.
Godalming: Chiweshe (Aulsberry), Wales, Elliott, Matthews, Mariner (Haddad). Taylor, Ottley, Kiri, Purdy, Eloumani (Ojukwu), Paka
Greg Lewry
 |