By Roy Mitchard

With the injury list remaining the same, Kings had a busy week, signing strikers Arel Amu from St Neots Town and former Stevenage Academy starlet Yasin Arai, along with former Plymouth Argyle midfielder Charlie Miller in a busy week.

All made their debuts and acquitted themselves well, but the script frustratingly remained the same as Kings went down 1-0 in a delicately balanced encounter for the third consecutive home game, to remain without a point or a goal.

Yate Town are a well organised side in which the physical colossus that is Matt Bower dominated proceedings in midfield. They started the better and hit a post from a free kick after fifteen minutes, but Kings responded with a speculative lob into the box just being gathered by Andrew Hannah while under pressure from Arel Amu.

A Charlie Miller shot was held by the keeper and Jorell Johnson just couldn’t sort his feet when presented with a sight of goal, while a Yasin Arai cross was headed just over by Leo Farruch as Kings enjoyed their best spell of the half. An edge crept into the game as each side gave the other little time on the ball and Sam Turl was fortunate to see yellow instead of red for a particular touchline encounter with Jack Wood.

The half ended with Alfie Marriott pulling off a fine save when Will Tunnicliff looked through on the left, but the visitors began the second half with intent and wasted a couple of good chances, while Amu did likewise at the other end from a Miller cross.

Then came the freak moment that home fans were dreading as danger from a corner was repelled, ending up in the arms of Alfie Marriott. But the young keeper uncharacteristically shanked his clearance and the ball was seized upon by Ricardo Rees to lash home into the far corner. It felt like deja-vu, but Kings carried much more of a threat than recent weeks and came close to an equaliser with shots by Arel Amu
and Charlie Miller and a mesmeric penetrating run through the defence by Yasin Arai.

It was closer still when Jack Wood sent in a thunderous shot that brought the very best out of Hannah and when the keeper did fluff his lines with a raking cross, there was nobody there to take advantage.

With Kings having used all three subs and having Eli Hearn off for five minutes of the last ten, Yate were able to run the clock down and left Kings feeling well and truly in the grips of a Groundhog Day nightmare.