Canterbury City 0 - 0 Faversham Town FC
An impressive performance from City today as they held Ryman League South side Faversham Town to an away draw at Salters Lane. An entertaining encounter saw chances at either end as both sides geared up for the season ahead.
City were indebted to Sam Baker for two goal-line clearances in the first-half, before Faversham had a similar escape as a Jack Tanner shot was headed out from right under his own cross bar by a home defender. Tanner went close again for City just deflecting a shot over as he tried to turn it goal bound while Joe Kennett stood firm to block out a Faversham effort. The busy Tanner then saw a free-kick deflect off the defensive wall and go over, before he shot wide right on half-time following a series of three City corners.
The main story for City first-half though, was one of moving the ball around well, retaining possession and using the whole of the pitch as they played out from the back, through midfield probing forward looking to get Renford Tenyue or Michael Smisson away. After being starved of the ball against Ebbsfleet, it was a different story today with City just possibly shading the first-half possession stats. The defence were tight and strong, carrying on from where they left off in their first pre-season match, while Macauley Murray was buzzing about leading an effective midfield.
Several changes for the home side at half-time plus five substitutions for City on fifty minutes, meant the second half wasn’t quite as fluent as the first but City remained positive and confident, with players finding space and always making themselves available for a pass.
A Tenyue cross was just out of the reach of Jason Mills while Faversham had a shot just scrambled out by Giga Zulmalusheili at his near post. City should have taken the lead on sixty-six when after a super Murray pass and defence beating run by Tenyue, Mills just missed connecting with a side foot into an open goal. Bobby Hitchcock almost got his head to another Tenyue cross and Connor Simpson had a shot from the edge of the box just pushed wide in a hurry by the keeper.
Faversham almost stole it with five minutes to go. Breaking with speed down their right, a shot from inside the box just clipped the top of the City bar with Giga stranded.
Honours even, a fair result and a splendid performance from City which bodes well for when the serious stuff starts.
City Squad: Giga Zulmalusheili, Sam Baker, Chris Elliott, Joe Kennett, Richard Gamble, Jack Tanner, Sean Armstrong, Macauley Murray, Michael Smisson, Renford Tenyue, Jake Marsh, Tom McQuade, Connor Simpson, Ben Smith, Bobby Hitchcock, Jason Mills.