Another disappointing afternoon for City losing by a goal in each half to FC Elmstead.

The first-half was quite close but the visitors led at the break and then scored again in a very scrappy second-half littered with fouls and frustrating niggly incidents which saw two City players sin-binned and manager Dan Lawrence sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession.

There was another yellow card as well and a couple of injuries also thrown in for City and it’s beginning to look like the end of the season can’t come soon enough for the club!

Having said all that, they still hold a top five position in the table and have old foes Faversham Strike Force up next at Hartsdown on Bank Holiday Monday and a positive result in that game would certainly give everyone at City a boost as well as making their opponents on-going chase for the title just that little bit more difficult!

The first-half saw chances at both ends but with Elmstead possibly having the clearer opportunities. A hurried headed clearance from Jake McCarthy’s early cross was put narrowly over his own bar by Ryan Penton and from the ensuing corner, Harry Sikirwayi fired wide for City. Fraser Page responded for Elmstead with a low shot well saved by City keeper Tom Benham, while at the other end a good break down the left saw a Khavarn Williams cross slide untouched right across the face of the visitors’ goal.  

City had a couple of attacking free-kicks, one of which saw Luke Illsley get half a header on that was safely gathered by Elmstead’s keeper Chris Collins, while Williams then had a scuffed shot blocked.

The visitors then took the lead when the ball was worked through to Page in the box and, with really too much space to work with, he poked the ball past Benham as the keeper tried to close him down for 0-1.

City had a chance to respond immediately but having built the move well down the left, Zack Jobe’s eventual cross just evaded Sikirwayi running in. Elmstead should have doubled their lead shortly after though when a corner swung in from the right saw Joe Buchanan send a free header wide of the City post.

City worked hard to fashion an equaliser as Illsley almost got on the end of a Rob Lawrence corner, while the same player then picked his way through the ranks from deep only to see his attempt blocked. Connor Coyne then saw McCarthy’s cross nicked off his toes as he was about to pull the trigger as City continued to apply the pressure with Illsley seeing another effort thwarted and Nathan Geddes thump a hurried shot over the bar under pressure.

Another City free-kick then almost bore fruit when Illsley’s clever header from Lawrence’s ball in was beaten out by Collins, but then after a bit of a mini-scramble – when the ball just wouldn’t fall for City, they nearly got caught on the counter as Elmstead piled forward only for Isaac Hadlow to shoot well wide when he probably had better options available.

The half ended with a chance at each end that both probably should have been converted. Dan Kommu powered a free header over the City bar from ten yards out before Lawrence stabbed the ball wide when well placed.

A tight first period, but Elmstead, with the clearer chances, just about good value for their lead.

City were out quickly for the second-half which started well for them as a free-kick sent in to the Elmstead box was eventually snaffled by Collins, while a lovely ball by Jamie Obianigwe out to Williams saw him cut inside but only to see a decent shot charged down. Elmstead hit back though as a long shot from Penton scooted well wide before a dangerous low ball in was well defended away by Luka Radojevic.

Despite the good opening to the half, it soon descended into a bit of an attritional and scrappy stalemate. City’s sending off was followed by a yellow card for Sikirwayi and then a sin bin offence for Radojevic as frustrations began to grow. In between, Matt Faithorn headed well over for Elmstead before he had a better and clearer opportunity, but again headed just over – this time when he probably should have buried it!

Half-time substitute Sean Aromolaran then burst through for City but saw his shot saved by Collins as City made other changes to try to influence the game. A disputed free-kick, inches outside the box – which led to Radojevic’s sin bin, saw Hadlow take a good long look, but then wastefully blast the ball over the angle. Kommu then missed a sitter as he swept Hadlow’s cross wide from close in as City, a player light, struggled to keep all the gaps cand channels closed and it eventually cost them dear as another attack through from left to right was moved back across the box and Rob Myles arriving on the overlap and unmarked piled the ball home for 0-2.

City battled away though and Leo Dodds saw his long lobbed shot well taken by Collins – albeit over his head while back-pedalling and then neither Geddes or Coyne were able to nod home from close range as Illsley’s header back across towards them looped just too high. With Radojevic now back on the field, City were soon back down to ten again when Coyne was then sent to the sin-bin.

Still City tried to get forward though and a lovely through ball from Aromolaran saw Matt Robinson charge clear and batter in a goal-bound shot that Collins did well to beat away, before the keeper then had an easier save to make smothering an Illsley under pressure header to safety. Aromolaran then buzzed forward but struck the ball wide as he was chased down, while late on,  Sikirwayi’s ball over the top was gathered by Robinson, but Collins was again alert to the danger making a decent low save to keep the visitors’ clean sheet and give them the three points.

City’s play-off participation has already been decided, but it would still be nice to finish high enough to have qualified – especially in the circumstances, while this result gives Elmstead their fourth win on the spin – three of which have been against the current top five. Are they on a late charge for the play-offs? Well it might be too late for them, but they still just might fancy they’re in with a shout!

Final score: Canterbury City 0 FC Elmstead 2