City suffered just their second league defeat of the season today as they were beaten at home by Soul Tower Hamlets. Despite taking an early second-half lead, they couldn’t hold on to it and a resurgent Hamlets eventually swept past them to win 2-1.

The day started in a reflective mood with a tribute and a minute’s silence to former City Chairman Keith Longley. Keith was a great friend and servant of the club for many years but sadly passed away earlier in the week. We were honoured to be joined by some of his family for the day especially at such a difficult time and it was lovely to be able to chat with them and for those of us who knew Keith to share some memories. They were then kind enough to stay and present the Man-of-the-Match award following the end of the game.

As for the contest itself, well it was a tough and competitive first-half that saw little between the two teams with very few clear cut chances created at either end. Mo Cham broke into the Hamlets box but was thwarted by a strong blocking tackle as he got a shot off while Romuald Boco pinged an attempt comfortably wide of the City goal.

There wasn’t too much attacking play as a lot of the game became a bit of a midfield tussle but Cham was constantly getting forward and saw another shot blocked out for a corner after some great work by Harry Sikirwayi in midfield. The corner then caused Hamlets some consternation as Cham swung it in from the left but it seemed to pass straight through the gloves of visiting keeper Ali Ozcelik only to be hacked clear by a defender before a City player could divert the ball home.

On twenty minutes City had a great chance to take the lead when, following some good hold-up play from Connor Coyne, he fed Cham and after some lovely footwork, he laid the ball off for Zack Jobe but his effort on the run was too high and sailed over the Hamlets bar.

The game was suffering from a few too many stoppages with neither side able to produce any of the flowing or fluent football that had put them both in the top five. The lively Cham saw another shot blocked while a series of free-kicks for both sides also failed to open the respective defences up.

Jobe then had another opportunity to open the scoring but under pressure and having pounced on a loose ball and made it into the box, he could only fire narrowly wide. Sikirwayi then saw a good effort saved by Ozcelik before Coyne saw a shot deflected out for a corner. Rowan Larrington then made a quality defensive block to thwart Cham while at the other end, Casey Nolan-Samuels struck a decent free-kick well, but just wide.

The break arrived with the two teams evenly matched and dead-locked – bit of an ‘arm wrestle’ was one observer’s comment, but with little to pick between them it just seemed a case of wait for the restart and see who would be the first to blink!

City had a promising start to the second-half. Luke Illsley’s ball lofted in was knocked past Ozcelik by Sikirwayi, but cleared out for a corner before he could steer it past the now stranded keeper. The ball in was initially cleared but recycled well by City back into the box and Jamie Obianigwe, leaping to head the ball goalwards was airily shoved in the back and City were awarded a penalty. Cham cooly stepped up and fired home with some force to put his side a goal up.

From there however it was the visitors that really pushed on and took the game back to City. They put the hosts under some considerable pressure and went close when a free-kick was whipped in from the right and bounced off the top of the City bar – keeper Dan Smith seemingly right behind it and happy to see it over.

City made a couple of changes but then almost conceded when a great cross in from Nick Bell was headed inches wide by Boco – a missed opportunity but as it turned out a warning shot!

With most of the attacking play coming from Hamlets, they soon turned that into end product with two goals in just four minutes as City were caught cold.

The first came when a break through the middle saw Joao Silva Cruz push through a defence splitting pass that Wesley Antonio latched onto before powering a low shot past Smith for 1-1.

Before City could really respond they conceded again and it was almost a carbon copy of the earlier chance. Another pinpoint cross from the right was sent over but this time headed home with some aplomb by Nolan-Samuels, with the ball flying over the leaping man on the line putting the visitors in front at 1-2.

City have done well coming from behind this season and the shock of losing their lead seemed to inject them with some sudden purpose and urgency. Cham had a shot blocked, while Rob Lawrence following in at speed saw his effort pushed over the bar by the keeper. Lawrence then saw a corner and a cross both well defended away by the visitors, while Ozcelik batted away a dangerous looking low cross from Jobe.

City were driving forward, piling on plenty of  pressure of their own and Leo Dodds saw his shot blocked, while Leighton Murray had one saved. A couple of free-kicks and a long throw tried to find City an edge but Hamlets were standing firm. Illsley then flashed a ball right across goal that flew wide but was vainly begging for any sort of touch to turn it goalwards.

With the game now into stoppage time, Murray burst through in the inside-left channel but could only fire wide from just inside the box as Hamlets then sought to see the rest of the game out.

An increasingly frustrated City, frantically trying to get the ball forward, played into their opponent’s hands a little conceding three or four fouls that just gave the ball back to Hamlets to wind the clock down. They had one more almost half chance when Cham chased after a through ball, but try as he might he was just beaten to it by Ozcelik who came swooping out to claim just as the final whistle blew.

The defeat drops City down to third, whilst Hamlets remain fifth as teams taking points off each other have allowed Croydon FC to open a bit of a gap in top spot. There’s no game for the club next Saturday so it will be cup action next for City as they take on Snodland in the Challenge Cup a week on Tuesday.

Final score: Canterbury City 1 Soul Tower Hamlets 2