A fairly comprehensive victory for City today away at basement club Meridian VP.

On an unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon, two goals in each half sealed the win and although the hosts kept trying to get forward, it would be fair to say that City keeper Dan Smith probably had one of his easiest afternoons. Apart from the result though, this game will probably be best remembered for the two clever second-half City goals – both scored by Rob Lawrence at his crafty and artful best!

For the first thirty minutes or so though, there was little to pick between the two sides. Both had opportunities from free-kicks and corners to create something but there was very little direct and effective goal action. Jamie Obianigwe tidied up a promising Meridian break from a City corner in the first couple of minutes, while Luke Illsley’s header from another was a comfortable save for home keeper Tom King.

City’s Zack Jobe flashed a shot from the left-hand side over the home bar, while minutes later, after some fancy footwork, he won some space but saw his subsequent effort safely pouched by King. Lawrence then saw his volley from an Illsley long-throw deflected over, but given the number of dead ball situations arising for both teams, it was to some surprise that there had been so little clear-cut goalmouth action so far!

That all changed in the thirty-eighth minute though when City took the lead. Jobe funnelled the ball out to Khavarn Williams on the left and as he tried to cut inside towards the goal he was upended in the box and a penalty was given. There didn’t seem to be any complaints from the home side and without too much fuss, Williams himself stepped up and slotted the spot-kick home under the dive of King for 1-0.

That goal just seemed to jolt the hosts a little and City were soon looking to seize control. Williams saw an effort blocked, while after some good work by Harry Sikirwayi and Jobe, Lawrence volleyed a bouncing ball over the bar.

With the half then in the final minute before added time, City doubled their lead. A ball from the back saw some good hold-up play from Connor Coyne and after some interplay with Lawrence the ball was switched out to Jobe on the right and after a couple of paces forward, he drilled home a low shot past the keeper and into the opposite side of the net for 2-0 and a very tidy finish.

Within ten minutes of the restart, City had moved four goals ahead and effectively ended the game as a contest. With the half having been barely underway they almost got their third when Kane Smith flicked on an Illsley long-throw only to see it beat King but get nodded off the line as it was about to dip in under the bar.

What happened next will be giving the relevant player nightmares but only add to Lawrence’s legendary City acclaim! Meridian looked to be in control of the ball in their own box but a defender suddenly got himself isolated and in a pickle and dithered for a split second. He seemed to have no idea that Lawrence was lurking and he had no warning or assistance from his own team-mates that that was the case.  In a split-second, Lawrence tiptoed from around his blindside, metaphorically picked his pocket and slammed the ball home from right under his nose for 3-0 – an astonishing goal!

Just a few minutes later, City were four up and it was that man Lawrence again. A free-kick to City was given over on the left and was just outside the penalty box. It looked a fairly regulation set-up and with everybody expecting the ball to be lifted into the middle or over to the far post, Lawrence had other ideas and sneaked a low shot past the wall and just inside the near post into an unguarded part of the goal as the keeper could only stand flat-footed and watch it roll into the net – much to his own bafflement and everybody else’s surprise!

City soon looked likely to score a fifth as Sikirwayi had a shot blocked and a bit of a scramble saw three or four efforts blocked at close quarters by the home defence, before Harry Maher’s effort took a slight deflection and then hit the post prior to being cleared.

After that, Meridian kept on trying to get forward but many of the balls sent through were too long or overhit and disappeared into the undergrowth. City keeper Smith then finally had a save of sorts to make as he chose safety-first by just tipping a high bouncing ball – that had been launched in from the back – over his own bar. After that, and despite Meridian’s undoubted efforts, they never really troubled the City goal for the remainder of the game and left City to run out as very comfortable winners.

Final score: Meridian VP 0 Canterbury City 4