A good, strong performance, some nice play but unfortunately no points for Canterbury City as they were defeated today at Salters Lane by Faversham Strike Force.

A fairly quiet first period gave way to a far busier second that saw the Force take the lead against the run of play, before City equalised soon after. A sustained period of pressure from the visitors then failed to reap any benefit before a thumping top corner strike turned out to seal the match for the hosts!

A strange first-half seemed to be meandering without too much to note until just before the break when both sides went close to breaking the deadlock.

Home keeper Harry Earls can undoubtedly claim to have been the busiest as he made routine early saves from both Rob Lawrence and Mo Cham, while Luka Radojevic saw his shot well blocked by the Force defence.

City’s number one Tom Benham, had only one stop of note to make – sliding out at speed to deflect away a far too short back pass off the feet of ex-City player Tom Barton. Apart from that, the first forty minutes or so were fairly uneventful although City did pick up two yellow cards in that time and Lawrence was forced off mid-half with an injury and other than the odd free-kick, corner and long throw-on, neither side to that point had really done anywhere near enough to trouble the scorers!

With three minutes of the half remaining though, Josh Spence zipped in a long range volley that skimmed just over the City bar and landed onto the roof of the net – by far the closest we had come to a goal!

City had a good spell after that and then on into stoppage time, compiling some nice moves with some decent ball play, but twice promising attacks faded away at the business end of the pitch. They did go close two minutes into added time however when Radojevic fizzed in a low shot that took the slightest of nicked deflections before hitting the face of the Strike Force upright and rebounding to safety. City finished the half on the attack when a short corner was played to Cham who drove into the box before firing wide of the Force goal while under pressure before whereafter, the half soon ended goalless!

Strike Force were looking far more sprightly after the restart and Barton almost got through but Radojevic rode to City’s rescue, nicking the ball off his toes as he prepared to shoot. As it turned out that was a bit of a warning sign for City because just minutes later Barton opened the scoring, putting the hosts ahead. Benefitting from a deflection that sent the ball into space, he was quickest to react before advancing into the City box and slotting the ball across Benham and into the net for 0-1.

City responded well and within four minutes they were level. A lovely flowing move involving Alfie Giles, Cham and Monty Saunders ended with the latter firing home from the edge of the box for 1-1 and both a well-made and well taken goal.

For a while after that, City played some really nice football and should really have turned some of that into at least the next goal. Luke Illsley almost slid both Saunders and Cham through on goal but Earls was quick to sprint out and collect, while Radojevic them sent in a first-time shot that was arrowed in low but wide.

City’s next two chances both fell to Cham, firstly a shot at the far post was well beaten away by Earls and he then denied the striker again when a long distance effort was well beaten down and quickly claimed. The build up play to both these opportunities from City saw much to be admired and they were passing the ball around neatly and purposefully.

City were looking by far the better side then especially during this period as more promising and positive play saw an Illsley shot blocked away down by the foot of the post, before Jake McCarthy took aim but saw his effort well diverted and then a sharp shot from Giles was smartly turned aside by the diving Earls – City were in a bit of a purple patch but just couldn’t turn that superiority into a goal!

Strike Force remained under the cosh and although Adam Benfield nearly sneaked in on City’s goal before Benham eventually claimed the ball, all the opportunities and openings were coming at the other end. Leo Dodds stretching saw his shot initially blocked but he fought well to win City a corner from which Will Currie turned nicely in the box only to see Earls rescue the hosts again with another smart blocking parry.

From the resultant corner from that save, again City went close as the ball was cleared but Harry Sikirwayi came flying in before seeing his rasping low drive only meet with a crowded body of defenders!

A Strike Force long throw and subsequent corner gave them a brief but unsuccessful sortie into City territory before Cham fired wide albeit via a good piece of defending by Jack Smith.

Just as it looked like it was only going either City’s way or they would endure a frustrating draw, out of nowhere, Strike Force took the lead. With just five minutes of the ninety remaining, Barton saw an effort blocked but as the ball briefly ran loose on the edge of the box, substitute Brooke Tiernan thundered it home with force and aplomb giving Benham no chance and somehow City were now behind!

Understandably, the hosts slowed the game right down and try as they might, City just couldn’t find a leveller. Sikirwayi had an effort deflected away down by the foot of the post while debutant Brad Jeffrey, under pressure managed to dig out a shot from the edge of the box that popped up and over the bar. Still City kept going forward as a corner passed them by and two crosses were cleared before Sikirwayi laid the ball off nicely to Brad Walledge but his stinging shot was well brought down and claimed by Earls from head height!

The match eventually ended seven minutes into stoppage time with City still pressing forward as Benham’s free-kick from inside the home side’s half was launched into the box, but despite taking a couple of City touches it only brought Strike Force a game-killing and final goal-kick!

Fair credit to the hosts though, they dug in and withstood all the pressure City threw at them especially in the period after the visitors had brought the game back to 1-1 when, for quite a while, Strike Force were looking just a little ragged and uncertain at the back. City will maybe look at this as one that got away – but against local rivals who are unbeaten against them in four matches this season, they just seem to have become a difficult nut to crack!

Final score: Faversham Strike Force 2 Canterbury City 1

City: Tom Benham, Luka Radojevic (Ben Binder), Will Currie, Luke Illsley,  Louie Procopi, Jake McCarthy (Brad Jeffrey), Rob Lawrence (Harry Sikirwayi), Alfie Giles (Leo Dodds), Harry Maher (Brad Walledge), Mo Cham, Monty Saunders.