ONE MOMENT IN TIME
Seagulls Snatch the Points

Summer sunshine greeted the return of competitive football after a nine month absence with Kings returning to the South section of the Southern Premier and hosting Weston-super-Mare. It had been a difficult week for manager Chris Cummings with injuries ruling out the strike force of Bradley Wadkins, Edu Toiny-Pendred and Harry Crawford and the likelihood of returning midfielder Jacob Cook being ruled out for the season. Two strikers were signed on the eve of the opener and eight players (including the three used substitutes) made their debuts in a decidedly unfamiliar looking line up.

Rustiness was unsurprisingly evident in the performance of both sides as the first half hour produced effort, but little cohesion, with the Seagulls edging possession, but making little headway against a tight home defence in which Kyle Lincoln slotted in well alongside long serving Jorell Johnson and two seventeen year old loanees – right back Eli Hearn from Wealdstone and goalkeeper Alfie Marriot from Watford – immediately displayed a calmness and confidence beyond their years to keep chances to a minimum. Then Sam Avery produced a fierce drive that Marriott tipped over and Kings responded when Saul Williams seized upon a free kick to hit the underside of the bar, but any dispute was dispelled by the offside flag.

The second half continued to see the emphasis on long balls, one of which nearly set Nick McCootie free, but Alfie Marriott was quick off his line to snuff out the danger. As the contest entered its final quarter, the odds on Kings winning a battling point from a scoreless draw grew, but the spectre of a defining moment from either side emerged from the wings when a corner from the right was delivered deceptively low and the resulting scrimmage saw the ball forced home from close range by Sam Avery. It was tough on the young keeper, who was denied the clean sheet his performance probably deserved, but as Weston resorted to justifiable game management tactics, Kings waited until the last minute to produce the move of the match.

Late signing Louis-Michel Yamfam teased and turned two wide defenders to deliver a pinpoint cross that was firmly met by the head of Jorell Johnson, only to see the ball thump against the crossbar to the anguish of the player and home fans alike. Kings went to the end in search of the equaliser, but when a surging Jack Wood run led to a corner and a header from the hard working Roddy Collins just wide, the final whistle signified the end of a contest that was, after all, settled by one defining moment.