Blown a Hole To Kingston Come - Weekend Preview

Kingstonian v Hendon

Saturday 24^th September 2011

Ryman League Premier Division

Kingsmeadow

For the first time today, I had writer’s block. I never realised until today just how debilitating it can be. I wanted to preview tomorrow, and had made a dozen aborted attempts. Somehow, it just wasn’t working. That was until some kind soul on my twitter feed linked me to a picture. You can see it below. 

Not the kind of hole Carl McCluskey likes to play in. - With thanks to AFC Wimbledon's Twitter Feed and @colinzealuk

He described it as a ‘Womble hole’ either unaware that the Wombles are fictional or using their links with Wimbledon (Wombledon?) and making funny speculation. The truth of the matter is that mindless simpletons have taken it upon themselves to vandalise an area of turf in the centre circle with what appears to be a giant iron.

All of this has sent my writers block packing and brought back to mind an incident a few years back at Claremont Road. I’m pretty sure it was Enfield we were playing during the season that literally never ended, 2000/01, the season that saw us playing almost every day more often than not on a surface at Claremont Road that looked more like Passchendale 1917 than a football pitch. During the warm up, it became clear that something was amiss. About 10 yards outside the penalty area at the clubhouse end was a gaggle of Enfield players in a circle. As they dispersed, it looked as though there was something buried in the pitch. Upon closer inspection there was definitely something buried in the pitch. And upon even close inspection than that, the definite something turned out to be a football.

Claremont Road, April 2001. Buried Football not pictured

It soon became clear what had happened. Facing relegation square in the face, and faced with a lean mean Green machine facing only their 9^th match in a fortnight. the dastardly Enfield players had taken it upon themselves to hack away at the soft surface with their boots and bury the ball in the hole, rendering the pitch unplayable. Luckily for everyone concerned, Mr. Mike Tingey the man in black wasn’t conned, allowed the game to go ahead and goals from Jason Solomon, Paul Adolphe and Bontcho Guentchev consigned our North London neighbours to defeat.

Now, let me make it abundantly crystal clear that I am not accusing anyone connected with Kingstonian of any malpractice whatsoever. They would be daft to. Despite the fact that Hendon are top of the table and unbeaten in all competitions, despite the fact that K’s can’t buy a goal at the moment, never mind a point or a win and crashed out of the cup last week, I genuinely cannot see past a comfortable home win. (Any member of the squad or management team stop reading now in case I subconsciously infiltrate your minds with my fatalistic musings).

Since returning to the Premier Division the two sides have met on four occasions in League matches and all four have been won by the K’s. On each occasion they have scored 3 goals. Hendon have scored just twice, in the narrow home defeat at Vale Farm last season. If ever the K’s need to get their season back on track, then as they did 2 years ago after their horrendous start to the season, there is no better side to be facing than us. Ignore the league table, ignore the form guide because it’s not so much an Indian sign that Kingstonian have over Hendon, but a whacking great concrete Russian one.

Looking through the K’s squad, you can’t help but think Alan Dowson will get the mix right sooner rather than later. He’s proven himself before not only at Kingsmeadow but previously with Walton & Hersham. Although he hasn’t yet undertaken the kind of surgery we saw a couple of years back on the squad, changes have been made since the beginning of the season as he tries to kick start things on the pitch. In have come Rocky Baptiste from Harrow / Thurrock, Adam Francis (son of Gerry) from QPR on loan and in their side in a midweek friendly was one Ali Chaaban who has already netted against the Greens in pre-season for Boreham Wood. With Bobby Traynor, Simon Huckle and De’wayne Clarke already on the books there is no shortage of talent available to Dowson going forward – enough to cause most sides at this level a problem.

So what has gone wrong so far this season at Kingsmeadow? The goals against column really tells its own story (20 conceded in 8 matches in all comps) and the recent release of Dean Hamlin, along with the temporary addition of Neil Jenkins suggests that Dowson knows that problems lie defensively. Reading the K’s message board is interesting with many different theories being offered up as to the reasons for their poor start to the season. As we know from our 2^nd half of last season, confidence is a fragile thing and that uncertainty will have to be ruthlessly exploited if Hendon are going to come away from the match still top of the pile.

So what am I expecting? Having backed K’s to win 5 and draw 2 so far this season, and them proving me resoundingly wrong on every occasion (except the win against Tooting), I really can’t see any reason to change that for reasons I am sure you will all appreciate and consequently I fully expect to see the home side triumph, maybe by the odd goal in three.

What I do think is worth stressing though, is that whatever does happen on the pitch tomorrow that the K’s would be crazy to think about removing Dowson from his position as manager. Not only has his record over the last three years in particular given him the right to get Kingstonian out of the bottom four and up towards the play-offs, but previous evidence points towards him achieving that as well. Any K’s fan who is seriously thinking of calling for Dowson to go need only ask himself one question. Who, out there at the moment would you rather have in the hot seat at Kingsmeadow. Mick Sullivan (sacked by Leatherhead earlier this week)? Francis Vines? Graham Roberts? Is there really anyone out there who hand on heart is better suited for the job than Dowson? If there is, then by all means let me know because I cannot imagine anyone I would rather have if I were a K’s fan.

Alan Dowson. Still the man for the job.

Elsewhere there is a particularly tasty looking match up at the Dripping Pan where Lewes will be looking to bounce back from their surprise defeat at Chertsey in the FA Cup as they host in-form and goal mad Cray Wanderers. Two of the division’s other form sides meet at Bridge Avenue as AFC Hornchurch host Wealdstone, Aveley face a tough looking test in search of their first win as they travel to Bury Town whilst Lowestoft will be looking to get their league campaign back on track whilst heaping more home misery on a Carshalton Athletic side still to record so much as a goal at home so far. Concord Rangers meet Met Police, buoyed by their win at Hornchurch in the Cup last week and there’s an all-Essex meeting at Rookery Hill as East Thurrock play host to another in-form side Billericay Town. Harrow Borough will want to make it 3 wins in a row against Hastings United at Earlsmead, manager-less Leatherhead host Canvey Island in what looks a difficult match for whoever is in the dugout. Margate play Tooting in the 2^nd leg of their double-header, 3-0 up from the first game and finally, Wingate & Finchley will want to bounce back from 3 straight defeats as they entertain struggling Horsham.

Predictions

AFC Hornchurch 2-1 Wealdstone

Bury Town 3-1 Aveley

Carshalton Athletic 1-1 Lowestoft Town

Concord Rangers 2-0 Met Police

East Thurrock United 1-3 Billericay Town

Harrow Borough 1-1 Hastings United

Leatherhead 1-2 Canvey Island

Lewes 3-2 Cray Wanderers

Margate 3-1 Tooting & Mitcham United

Wingate & Finchley 2-2 Horsham