A brilliant victory for City that sees them jump to sixth in the table as they lead the pack of clubs suddenly chasing down the long term top five.

A scratchy first half from both sides provided its moments but all the goals came in a much better and entertaining second period that was certainly a little tense in stages, but ultimately led to a clear City win.

It was a very tentative start from both sides as they seemed to be feeling each other out and it took a while to get going with the only thing of note in the opening minutes being a solitary dangerous looking low cross from Borough’s Edward Asiamah that the City defence managed to nick away clear.

It was City though that had the first real effort on goal when on ten minutes, Mo Cham was quick to seize on a deflected clearance that bounced towards him. He carried the ball into the box but Borough keeper Khiani Shombe just got enough on the shot to knock the ball out for a corner. City couldn’t prosper from that or a Joe Nelder long throw that followed and they had to deal with Asiamah again soon after as Harry Maher stepped in with a very good block as the Borough player twisted and turned his way into the City box.

It had been a very cagey first twenty minutes or so, but the game suddenly lit up as both sides each had a couple of quick-fire chances. For City, a distance effort from Harry Sikirwayi had Shombe moving sharply down to his left to scoop the ball away by his post, while a moment later he was safely behind Cham’s snap shot from the edge of the box.

Borough responded well and after a good break from Khayrie Harris, his handy looking cross from the right was well dealt with by Maher at the far post, before seconds later, the same player cut inside to shoot, but City keeper Tom Benham was perfectly placed as the ball flew straight into his midriff.

That sudden bout of attacking activity soon petered out though as the game then became bogged down with numerous niggly little fouls and disputes. City were certainly getting on the rough end of quite a few 50/50 decisions as the referee was forced to continually lecture players from both sides as the match became disjointed and the football a bit of an afterthought!

At that stage it was fairly difficult to see where a goal might come from as Adekunle Adeyinka shot right across the City goal and wide when well placed, while Jordan Bilongo dispatched another effort for the visitors –  but that cleared the goal and the stand! For City, a lofted in Rob Lawrence free-kick was well hunted down by Luke Illsley, but on the stretch he could only deflect the ball up and over the bar.

With half-time looming however, Borough were desperately unlucky not to take an unlikely lead when firstly, a cracking shot from Asiamah forcefully struck the face of the City bar and ricocheted to safety before a minute later they nearly did it again when Harris – with a clear site of goal, hammered in a low effort only to see Benham make a superb save down to his right – beating the ball away one-handed to keep his goal intact.

The half soon ended with both sides having had a chance or two to break the deadlock but a bitty game got to the break goalless and that was probably about right!

The second-half began far more brightly with both sides showing more intent and urgency. City defended away a couple of Borough corners before Cham was crowded out having broken into the visitor’s box.

Asiamah was proving to be quite a handful for the hosts as he fired another low effort across the City goal and just wide of the far post before he was denied an opening goal again – this time brilliantly by Benham. From the edge of the City box, he almost turned himself inside out to make some room and then hit a fierce, low shot that Benham met with a cracking one-handed, diving save to push the ball away and out for a corner.

The game had certainly improved and opened up and inevitably, the deadlock was soon broken. An attack down the right by Maher broke him in towards the box and then his cross set off a chain of events that led to the ball being in the back of the Borough net! Cham was in the thick of it but his first shot was saved by Shombe, a defender then went down injured before Cham fired in the rebound only for it to clearly strike a hand, but before the referee could think about a possible penalty, Cham had pounced again to fire the loose ball home and give City the lead!

That goal stirred the visitors into more direct action and they put City under a severe period of pressure. Bryan Zepo’s crisp low shot from thirty yards was strong and true but never curled in towards the City goal, before a second was well cleared by Illsley. The City skipper was commanding and influential at the back, having a great game and making several vital and crucial interceptions and clearances as Borough sought to level.

As time wore on and City continually repelled them, frustration grew and Borough’s captain Cairo Burton was forced to step in a couple of times to calm things down. Despite the pressure they were exerting, City were still finding space behind them with Cham and half-time substitute Monty Saunders always looking dangerous on the break.

Eventually though, City rallied through the threat and responded in great effect. A corner on the right was sent in by Saunders and found Illsley lurking at the far post and he sent a downward header just wide of the upright – we didn’t know it then but that was a warning shot!

At the other end, Adeyinka’s ball in was well claimed by Benham under pressure before on seventy-nine minutes, City doubled their lead. A free-kick near halfway was hoisted in by Lawrence and flew over several rising heads before reaching the far post. There it found Illsley in a small pocket of space, he steadied himself, took aim and swivelled to bury the ball into the back of the net for 2-0 and a brilliantly taken goal!

It was up to City now to see the game out. They would have remembered how Borough earned a draw in the return fixture a month ago with a ninety-sixth minute equaliser, but then they only had a one goal cushion, now City had two to defend. They dug in, mixed the game up and tried to manage it out. With just four minutes of the ninety left though, Lewisham got a goal back when a cross in from the left found Michael Amponsah and he rose and guided a lovely clean header back across goal and out of the reach of the diving Benham to make the score 2-1.

Surely they weren’t going to thwart City again with another potential late equaliser! Before we barely had chance to worry about that, another free-kick on halfway equals another delivery by Lawrence equals another great goal by Illsley as he came charging through the crowded box, eyes on the ball all the way and with a part stooping and diving action he headed the ball past the flailing Shombe for a cracking goal, 3-1 to City and as it turned out, game over!

Although there were still six minutes of added time to see out, Borough didn’t really threaten after that, although a shot drifted though legs but away from goal and a pinged in corner was headed well wide before it was City in fact that ended the game on the attack as the final whistle blew and deservedly took all three points.

A quick mention for the friendly and very vociferous Lewisham travelling support – you served your team extremely well today, but for those of you that were serenading us with the refrain that ‘This isn’t Canterbury!!’ – thanks gents, but we know that and it’s a very sore point!

After an earnest and extended debate, keeper Tom Benham was named Man-Of-The-Match by the adjudicating supporters – in particular for his two excellent, timely and pivotal saves (among others) but a big shout out must go to skipper Luke Illsley who was also absolutely immense again today!

Final score: Canterbury City 3 Lewisham Borough 1

City: Tom Benham, Luka Radojevic, Will Currie, Joe Nelder (Louie Procopi), Jake McCarthy, Luke Illsley, Rob Lawrence (Brad Walledge), Harry Maher, Alfie Giles, Harry Sikirwayi (Monty Saunders [Leo Dodds]), Mo Cham (Sam Lawford).