A team excel to topple leaders

Disability football

A 1-0 win over Kent Disability League Premiership title hopefuls Charlton Athletic Deaf A was the highlight for Canterbury’s A team in the December tournament on Sunday. Canterbury began the day with a goalless draw against Folkestone Invicta A in a game which saw City squander a host of chances.

They might even have lost the game near the end – a Folkestone striker missed an glorious opportunity to grab a winner.

Another goalless draw, this time against bottom club Anchorians Equal Teams Panthers, followed.

City started the game well but went down a man when Nathan Russell was sin-binned for dissent.

One goal proved enough to earn City victory over Charlton Deaf A – for whom the defeat was only their second of the season – before losing their shape in the final two games, going down 1-0 to Maidstone Golds and 3-0 to

Charlton Athletic Reds.

City have three wins and five draws from their 15 matches this season putting them fifth out of six with 14 points.

Charlton Deaf have 33 points and head the table on goal difference from Charlton Athletic Red.

Colin Jones was the match-winner as Canterbury’s B team beat Maidstone Raiders 1-0 to pick up their first victory of the season in Championship 3. Encouraged by a goalless draw against Anchorians in their previous fixture, City went into the Raiders game with more confidence.

They played the ball around well, constantly finding players in open spaces and kept attacking.

The breakthrough came when Jones collected the ball just in the Raiders half, going past two players before slotting past the keeper for the only goal of the game.

City had played well against leaders Bromley Green Valiants B, but were punished late on as they chased a winner, leaving gaps at the back which were twice exploited by Bromley Green who secured a 2-0 win.

South East Gulls Navy provided a tough challenge for City, but the defenders and in particular Paul Bowman, were solid, helping them to 0-0 draw. A goalless draw was also the result in City’s their final game, against Charlton Athletic Purple who had a goal disallowed.

It was good to see Mathew Biggs back in action after an 18-month lay-off due to a knee injury sustained while playing in a disability tournament.

City B have nine points from 15 matches, putting them fifth in the table, ahead of bottom club Anchorians on goal difference.