There will be some who will say that ‘City got away with one there!’ and that would certainly be one point of view.

Far from their best for probably three-quarters of the game and having fallen behind to an early stunning free-kick, it wasn’t looking good. But, to their credit, when they began finally sensing a way back, they kept on going, they kept battling, they didn’t give up or throw in the towel and they ploughed on – despite not having the assured touch of late and were eventually rewarded with two well taken headed goals that turned the game on its head and gave them – at the time, a rather thrilling victory!

For those that thought Meridian’s very long pre-kick-off huddle likely meant that they had all probably nodded off in there, well they were in for a surprise when the visitors actually took an early lead.

Harry Maher had just flashed an effort right across the front of the Meridian goal – after a nice switch of play from Rob Lawrence, before at the other end, a superb free-kick put the visitors in front. Around twenty-five yards out and from an inside-left position, Rami Hallouffi stepped up and hit the ball with venom and it flew into the City net via the underside of the crossbar as keeper Tom Benham – in vain, launched himself towards the top corner to try to stop it. A super strike that stunned the ground almost to silence!

City survived a scare minutes later when Kozzie was clean through on goal only to see Benham make a superb spreading save. A noteworthy stop, but as he did so, the offside flag also went up!

It had been a scratchy start from City and they just couldn’t get into their stride and with Meridian content with mostly playing long and direct from the back, opportunities for City to press seemed limited. However, Mo Cham saw an effort comfortably saved by visiting keeper Connor Cooper while Leighton Murray hammered a long shot well over the bar. Cham then cut inside but dragged his effort a foot wide of the near post before a bit of a scramble in the centre of the Meridian box wouldn’t quite drop City’s way.

Cooper then made an easy save from Luke Illsley’s header but the slow comical fall to the ground that he made – as goalkeepers do to waste time – with still over an hour to go maybe told you that Meridian had probably even surprised themselves by taking the lead! At that stage of the afternoon though, all it did was make the keeper look a little bit silly!

For the rest of the half, the game was very fragmented. There were quite a few stoppages and City were forced to make two substitutions with Maher and Joe Nelder both going off.

Cham was then unable to convert Lawrence’s tight pass from in front of goal and with Meridian already dragging time out, City really didn’t seem to be able to get hold of the game and when the break arrived, it was clearly time to regroup and reset because they were certainly being given quite a testing time from the day’s bottom club!

The second period started brighter for the hosts, but Meridian were busy about their work and cancelling City out but without really making too much progress of their own. A big City penalty handball shout from a Cham shot was completely ignored by the referee before a snap-shot after an Illsley long-throw was straight at Cooper who did well to cling on to the ball.

City made further changes but as another attack fizzled out it was increasingly looking like it wasn’t to be their day. A couple of free-kicks from Hallouffi then failed to trouble City – the first a very routine save for Benham with the second – firmly struck, but always rising over the bar.

City were working hard though and endeavouring to get themselves into the game and were just starting maybe to belatedly get on top. Another long-throw from Illsley then had Copper struggling through bodies to paw the ball to safety before Connor Coyne’s lay-off to Alfie Cragg saw the latter fire just over the visitor’s bar while Murray then rolled a shot a yard wide.

On seventy-four minutes, from somewhere, City found an equaliser. Harry Sikirwayi’s lofted cross from the left found Murray loitering at the far post and his well-directed header looped back over the keeper and floated in just under the bar into the far side of the goal for 1-1.

This seemed to rattle the visitors and moments later Cooper must have had palpitations when a sliced back-pass from Charlie Norcott almost caught him out – the keeper having to quickly divert the ball away from goal with an outstretched aerial boot!

City were now on the hunt, suddenly sensing a wounded prey. Several long-throws, a corner and an Illsley attempt from halfway peppered the Meridian goal but to no avail. A ball in from Illsley then had Cooper scrambling across but grateful to see the ball just land on the roof of the net before Rory Sutcliffe wheedled out a bit of space, but his shot lacked power and it shuffled along the ground and wide.

The ninety were now up and five minutes of added time came up on the board, City were on the hunt and there was still time…

A high-speed sweeping move between Sutcliffe and Cragg then forced a save from Cooper, before a minute into stoppage time, City scored the winner. A long ball in from the left found Sutcliffe – thirteen minutes into his debut – arcing his run and drifting into a position at the far post where his header back across the goal evaded Cooper and somehow sneaked in just inside the far post for 2-1 and great celebration.

With around four minutes to go, City kept possession well, generally wound the game down while often keeping the ball in the corner – tactics which frankly only gave the visitors a taste of their own medicine from earlier but at a far more appropriate time to do it and eventually saw time out for the win.

It is often said that successful teams find a way even when they’re not at their best and that is what City did today. Anyway, whichever way you look at it, it’s a comeback win, three more points and – it was pretty damn good in the end!!

Final score: Canterbury City 2 Meridian VP 1