An Andre McCollin hat-trick and a Ryan Moss goal inspired K’s to a resounding victory after they fell behind in the opening exchanges to a goal dispatched by Lewes’ Nathan Crabb.
Kingstonian started the game sluggishly and were caught out in the 4th minute by a set piece delivery from the left hand side, with Nathan Crabb getting a flick on and putting the ball past Rob Tolfrey in the K’s goal.
Lewes continued to press the K’s high up the pitch and left winger Nicky Wheeler was causing the K’s considerable trouble every time he received the ball high up the pitch, weaving inside and out and generally being a threat throughout the opening 20 minutes.
Every time K’s went forward Lewes broke dangerously and any loose balls were being picked up by the south-coast side, the early Lewes pressure even got to the usually composed Tolfrey in K’s goal and in the 20th minute he kicked a routine clearance straight out of play.
However, Lewes failed to get a second and the home side managed to get back in the game in the 26th minute when Jay Lovett brought down Ryan Moss in the penalty area. Moss stepped away from the kick, leaving it to his strike partner Andre McCollin and the 28 year old put the ball away confidently.
After the equaliser the game opened up for both sides and Josh Casey hit the bar for K’s while at the other end Reece hall and Nathan Crabb missed golden opportunities to retake the lead.
The second half began much in the same vein as the first with Lewes pressing and hustling, in the 54th minute Kingstonian finally took the lead through an Andre McCollin overhead kick, the centre forward took his chance when he was left unmarked in the penalty box at a corner and his overhead kick somehow evaded Rikki Banks in the Lewes goal.
Lewes came back at K’s in the following 20 minutes and Tolfrey had to be at his best in the home goal, standing firm when Lewes had big chances. In the 78th minute Lewes defender Jay Lovett committed a rash tackle on the edge of his own box and was shown his second yellow of the game.
Playing against 10 men Kingstonian ramped up the pressure and although Tolfrey had to make one more important save in the 85th minute K’s finally relaxed in possession. Ryan Moss slotted away a third for K’s in the 88th minute after beating the offside trap and Andre McCollin grabbed his hat-trick in the last minute of normal time to give added gloss to the scoreline.
Kingstonian will be happy with the victory, but had Lewes been more clinical in the first half this game could easily have gone the other way. Alan Dowson’s men are enjoying themselves this season and if they can continue in this form there’s no reason they shouldn’t be going for automatic promotion.
K’s play their next game in the league on Saturday the 7th against Cray Wanderers at home but have a tricky away tie at Sutton United in the cup next week to overcome first.
