Kingstonian 1-0 Hayes
THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND

Just two days after the joys of the "Sutton Six", it was the turn of this season's other semi-final. With Doncaster already through to the MacMillan Trophy final, the feeling of the management team was clearly the same as some of those in the crowd: do we really need another final just a few days before Wembley? This can be the only reason for the six changes in the team from the successful eleven of days before, but it must have made Hurst, Kadi, Hendrie, Green, Boylan and Basford happy. Who knows whether an injury will see one of them step out on May 13th?

The game was played in a somewhat subdued manner in front of a particularly low crowd. Lee Boylan, still awaiting his first goal of this spell at K's, played a good early ball out to Junior Kadi on the right wing and from there a cross was aimed towards the far post. Luke Basford challenged but saw his effort cleared away by the arm/chest of a defender. Nobody was all that interested in appealing for a penalty, so referee Mr. P. Armstrong allowed the game to continue.

A typically brilliant Tarkan Mustafa run, which started deep in his own half, ended with a cross being connected with by Lee Boylan. His shot was a decent one, but was turned aside by Paul Gothard. At the other end, Dave Stevens was presented with a chance to shoot at Farrelly's goal, but spurned the opportunity by blasting high. Farrelly then punted long and Mark Boyce missed the bouncing ball. Ronnie Green was on it in a flash and easily went around the goalkeeper. With the chance to shoot, he did so from out on the left, but Boyce had recovered well to clear the ball off of the line for a corner kick.

The second half had a similar number of chances, with both teams seemingly more interested in having a day off on May 8th. Lee Charles crossed into the K's six yard box, and Eddie Saunders either did very well to turn the ball over his own bar for a corner kick, or was extremely fortunate not to turn the ball into his own net. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt though.

For some reason Hayes decided to put theirselves about physically at about this time. Tarkan was one of the punished ones as Ryan Spencer carried out an horrendous foul on him. Quite rightly a yellow card was shown.

Ronnie Green, still seeking to open his K's account, was almost handed a great chance to do so just after, when Lee Boylan was played through on the right. He rounded Jason Goodliffe and looked up to see Green free in the middle. The cross was ever so slightly too high and Green's diminutive stature just failed the height test with the ball sailing away for a throw to Hayes.

Just a moment later, Green engineered his own chance when he was sent through on the left. He again rounded Gothard and got his shot in, but this time it was Goodliffe who cleared off the line for a corner. A welcome return was made by Simon Stewart as he was introduced for Matt Crossley as Kadi waited to take the corner, and it was from this that K's took the lead. A Mark Harris header was cleared off the line by Boyce, the ball was turned back in by Hendrie, Eddie Saunders flicked on and the ball landed in the six yard box at Green's feet. His touch sent the ball through Gothard's legs and K's took an unassailable one-nil lead.

A Mustafa cross from the right was tipped onto his own bar by Gothard, but Mustafa's next attempt almost ended with an equaliser for Hayes. Saunders connected with the cross but his header was saved. Gothard punted long and Mark Harris missed the ball. Christian Metcalfe was through with a ono-on-one with Richard Hurst. Whilst most money went on extra-time, Hurst surprised everyone by making a really very good save low to his right. The follow-up was blocked by the retreating Harris and all Hayes got was a corner.

Phil Wingfield came on for a late run and he just made it on in time to see Simon Stewart pick up a booking. Probably wasn't quite up to the pace just yet. Wingfield then gave Colin Luckett a chance to score another spectacular goal when he got the ball some 25 yards out. His right-footed lob was landing perfectly over Gothard and under the bar - until Gothard got a finger tip to the ball that is. The resulting corner gave Lee Boylan another open goal chance from a yard. Suffice it to say that the score remained unchanged.

And so another semi-final ended with another K's victory. It's always good to win games with half a first-team, and also when not playing well. Of course whether K's need another game to fit in before Wembley is debatable, but they've got it. And with Doncaster on such an unimpressive run there's no reason to believe that the Nationwide MacMillan Trophy can't be added to the J.C. Thompson Championship Shield. Oh, and the F.A. Umbro Trophy, of course.