City will be absolutely kicking themselves that they haven’t left the Old Spotted Dog Ground with three points and probably as many goals! They dominated the game over long spells while missing a hat full of chances along the way and were eventually forced to settle for a goalless draw.

Clapton had the first two efforts on goal early on when firstly Fred Taylor rolled a shot wide of the far post when well placed and then Noel Adejokun, through on goal after a neat home move, saw his effort smartly saved by City keeper Tom Benham, low down to his right at the expense of a corner.

In front of a noisy and supportive home crowd of over four hundred City were soon into their stride though. Luka Radojevic headed over from a Rob Lawrence corner, while Simon Kabamba, on the run, fired well over as the ball was cleared out from another.

Clapton had another chance to open the scoring when a rapid counter attack saw a lovely switch of play from left to right that fed Taylor in again but once more, he shot wide of the far post. City should really have gone closer on twenty-seven when Lawrence’s lovely ball into the box bounced up nicely for Sean Aromolaran, but his attempted lob was way too strong and went well over the bar.

City saw another couple of corners go unrewarded and then when Clapton faulted while playing out from the back, Leighton Murray pounced but his quick shot flew just over the bar. Harry Sikirwayi was next to try his luck but his hopeful effort from around twenty yards was also off target. Another really good chance then passed City by when Aromolaran’s lovely ball down the left side was well collected by Jamie Obianigwe who in turn managed to sneak in a low cross round the covering defender but before Connor Coyne could divert it towards goal, home keeper Jack Francis nipped in and snaffled it of his toes.

City were dominating and finishing the half really strongly and most of the traffic was only going one way. Lawrence got Aromolaran in again, but under pressure from two defenders and with the keeper closing him down he shot wide, before Kabamba’s driven shot from distance again cleared the home crossbar. City were then denied another opportunity by a poor decision from the referee. Obianigwe had turned his defender and was almost through on goal when he was clearly brought down a yard outside the box. The referee waved away the City claims and then indicated that the defender had won the ball. That just made the mistake look even sillier because he got nowhere near the ball and I don’t think anyone else in the stadium genuinely thought he did either!

However, opportunities continued to rack up for City as the half went into stoppage time. A cracking move down the City left saw a brilliant over-lapping run by Radojevic who cut into the box but his low cross had Coyne’s name all over it but Francis again intervened to snatch it off the striker’s toes. Finally, with the break imminent, a centrally placed City free-kick from around thirty-five yards saw Murray strike the ball with some force but it crashed straight into the Clapton wall and was cleared.

Half-time arrived and City had done more than enough to have taken the lead, but slightly worryingly, the game was still goalless.

A change at half-time saw new signing Zac Jobe introduced for Murray and he was soon looking like an excellent addition to the squad with his direct and positive style of play. Meanwhile, City continued where they had left off before the break and another excellent chance went missing when Sikirwayi found Lawrence who in turn played Coyne through but with just the keeper to beat, the effort wasn’t strong enough and Francis was handed a simple save.

Luke Illsley then forced the keeper into a better save – blocking out a shot at the far post after Lawrence had hoisted in another corner. Francis was having a busy afternoon, but regrettably also one of his easiest. Jobe won the ball well and got into the box, but his shot also lacked conviction and once more, the keeper had a far too easy save to make!

Although City were clearly well on top, Clapton spurred on by their tremendous support did get forward on occasion and a corner aerially bobbled about the City box before Benham took a comfortable claim while Adejokun made a clever turn and got through down the right but Liam Hark’s brilliant recovering run blocked the resultant shot away from goal.

A ball forward from Illsley was then flicked on by Coyne and found Jobe, but forced slightly wide he saw Francis down quickly to smother his on-target effort.

Despite having the bulk of the attacking play, City were then almost caught out when a cross swept over from Taylor on the left was headed goal bound by Joel Akuwudike from close range but was brilliantly blocked and cleared off the line by Radojevic.

A triple save by Francis then denied City a much deserved lead. Aromolaran’s impressive run down the right found substitute Alfie Cragg – his first shot was well blocked by Francis but the rebound was battered back in by Cragg only to see Francis block again and then as Cragg tried to get to the  resulting second loose ball, the keeper bravely smothered it to thwart the young striker once more.

The game was getting a bit stretched and a bit open and from the stand at least, it was beginning to feel like it wasn’t going to be City’s day. Francis was now having to work harder and he was the only Clapton player who appeared to see Radojevic’s quick free-kick almost slid through for Leo Dodds, while Cragg almost got on the end of Aromolaran’s lovely cross but an opening goal frustratingly continued to elude City.

The worry was also that Clapton might pull off a smash and grab as Hark made a great defensive header while Ross Broadway’s shot from the edge of the box flew well past the angle.

In truth though, Clapton had little to offer going forward for much of the second-half while City, with loads of meaningful attacking intent and in a game where effort and work-rate throughout the side couldn’t be faulted, well they really let their opponents off the hook!

The last two chance of the game also fell to the visitors as the game ticked into stoppage time firstly, when Jobe’s searching play down the left saw a perfect ball played right across the Clapton box which Rory Sutcliffe, charging in, got on the end of but he could only pop it straight into the keeper’s grateful arms before Francis then thwarted Lawrence who tried to go through on his own but the keeper was just quick enough to smuggle the ball away from him for a corner.

Nothing came from that and the game was soon over and City will be left rueing a bag full of missed chances long into the London night!!

Final score: Clapton Community FC 0 Canterbury City FC 0