A narrow defeat for City that puts a major dent in their play-off hopes but cements Rochester’s even further!

It was a tight, close encounter in which the visitors took an early second-half lead which they held onto despite some spirited City play and an almighty onslaught at the end that Rochester just about successfully repelled.

City started very brightly with some clear attacking intent and within thirty seconds Mo Cham had drilled a low shot across goal and just wide of the far post. They quickly followed that with a Brad Walledge lifted cross that Rochester keeper Luke Watkins managed to paw away to safety under pressure and after a cross from the right had been badly sliced out for a City corner, Watkins was needed again to punch the incoming ball clear. Alfie Giles then skipped his way though only to see his shot from a tight angle whip right across the face of the visitor’s goal and travel along out of harm’s way.

A very positive and dominating start from the hosts, but as Rochester worked their way into the game a more even and rugged contest ensued. Leo Dodds saw his attacking free-kick comfortably claimed by Watkins before at the other end, City keeper Tom Benham went down smartly to smother a stabbed in effort after the ball had bobbled about in the box from a Rochester corner.

Walledge then stubbed a low shot wide, before Fjord Rogers’ thirty-yard free-kick dipped just over the City bar. Benham then came to City’s rescue again as they lost possession allowing Harvey Brown to race through on goal – but the combination of having a defender in tow and Benham’s closing down spreading block kept the striker at bay at only the expense of a corner. The game was ebbing and flowing and some persistence from Harry Maher down the right for City opened up Rochester’s defence but his pull back from the byline could only be diverted wide of the goal by a hurried Walledge when well placed.

Benham then found himself in trouble with the referee when he came out of his area to attempt to head clear a ball that had been hoisted forward by Rochester but collided in doing so with Brown. With several of the visiting players and staff baying for the keeper’s dismissal and Brown staying down as long as he could for maximum effect, the referee produced just a yellow card before Rogers eventually took the free-kick which deflected off the City wall and looped up and out for a corner. That was cleared at the back post for another from which the visitors almost took the lead. The ball was swung in and Freeman Rogers nodded the high ball down and Brown tried to force it home, but fortunately for City, Benham was quickly there to firstly block and then claim the loose ball.

As the half moved into stoppage time, either side could have opened the scoring as firstly, Brown from a good position could only shoot weakly straight at Benham, while for City, a Maher cross from the right looked perfect for Cham right in front of goal, but he couldn’t quite sort his feet out and the ball was cleared.

A busy first-half soon ended, but a fascinating and close tussle so far hadn’t troubled the scorers!

The first real chance of the second period fell City’s way when Harry Sikirwayi’s hooked long ball forward found Cham hustling his way into the box but seemingly caught between trying to control the high bouncing ball or trying to lob it over Watkins, the bounce cruelly beat him and allowed the keeper a grateful claim.

Fjord Rogers then fired wildly astray for Rochester before Brown did a better job and gave them the lead. City were wasteful with possession and the ball rolled kindly towards Brown who took it on before slotting past the advancing Benham for 0-1 – it was a poor goal to give away and ultimately proved to be City’s undoing!

This was now becoming a good spell for the visitors, they were driving City back and applying a lot of pressure while the hosts were relying on trying to get Cham away on the break. For all their pressing though, Benham was only called into action once during this period with a very straightforward stop as much of what Rochester was doing lacked any real cutting edge.

City began to emerge from this period though and started turning the game back against their opponents. Cham saw an effort from the corner of the box saved by Watkins before a well worked move led to an aerial Maher cross evading the keeper and needing a defender to hurriedly and unexpectedly shuffle the ball away off the line!

A Monty Saunders free-kick then found Luke Illsley in his trademark round the back position but his almost well-directed header drifted just inches past the opposite post. City were really starting to control the possession now and although Brown did make a lone break forward, Louie Procopi, with an excellent piece of defending chased him down and marshalled him well away from danger.

City were otherwise seemingly well on top but realistically not quite doing enough. Firstly a Procopi cross came to nothing as did an attacking free-kick that curled over the bar and then the second of two corners had Illsley and substitute Kian Scott both challenging for the ball which eventually came off one or both of their heads but dropped wide.

While pursuing the goal they needed, they had to keep an eye on the back door as well and Rochester did get behind them on one occasion and only Liam Wilkins will know how he didn’t score as he scooped the ball up and over the bar from just five yards out.

For the last ten minutes of the game, City absolutely battered Rochester and had their goal under siege. Watkins saved from Scott before he then almost gifted City a goal, when having called for the ball after a long throw from Illsley, the keeper only got a quarter fist to it allowing the ball to carry on past him but fall down and bounce just the wrong side of the post!

That corner came and went as did two more Illsley throws hurled into the heart of the Rochester box – all cleared sometimes with more luck than judgement! Still City poured forward and a long shot from Procopi took a big deflection and flew over the bar for yet another corner. That came back out to Cham on the edge of the box who thumped in a fierce low shot only to see that desperately deflected out as well – it was rapidly looking like it wasn’t going to be City’s day!

As the game ticked into what turned out to be nearly five minutes of stoppage time, City got down the flanks on five more different occasions and put the ball into the mix but those, plus another Illsley throw that rained in down on Rochester –  who were absolutely under the cosh – only resulted in just a single Sikirwayi shot from the edge of the box being charged down as City failed to convert any of this attacking threat or endeavour into a goal and that then really just let Rochester off the hook. The visitors were mightily relieved when the final whistle blew but it was a very disappointed and dejected City side that trudged off back to the dressing room.

Final score: Canterbury City 0 Rochester United 1

City: Tom Benham, Luka Radojevic, Luke Illsley, Louie Procopi, Harry Sikirwayi, Alfie Giles, Brad Walledge (Rob Lawrence), Harry Maher, Leo Dodds (Kian Scott), Mo Cham, Monty Saunders

Unused Subs: Will Currie, Ben Binder, Brad Jeffrey