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PROMOTION (March 22, 2008) City 3 Pembury 2
Promotion was won at Bridge today. The three points that secured it were not easily taken from gallant Pembury who in recent weeks had struggled to raise a team but here gave City one of their most demanding games of the season. Canterbury’s captain, Dan Bonneywell, finished this exhausting match saying that it seemed like an anti-climax. He had a point but on reflection he will say it was a day when the result was more important than the means by which it was achieved.
Whether it was a nervous reaction to the challenge of the day, the gale that swept across the Recreation Ground or the fact that manager Dave Fairclough had to make several changes to his team, this was not the
 performance that City wanted to go hand-in-hand with their celebration. Several of the players went as far as to say it was their worst of the season, but those thoughts were soon forgotten. The significance of the achievement has to be judged in terms of City’s long-term ambition, which means that next season they will have the opportunity to do the job all over again in a higher division of the Kent County League. Had other results gone their way they might also have been celebrating the Championship tonight. As it is they are within touching distance.
Pembury delayed City’s joy until the 65th minute when Royston Gough hit the winning goal. It came as quite a relief since Pembury played well throughout. They had the advantages of wind and slope in the first half and yet found themselves 2-0 down after twenty-seven minutes. It was assumed that City would add to their advantage, turn round with the elements in their favour and finish as comfortable winners. “That’s what I thought” the Pembury manager admitted. But it didn’t work out like that.
City were without regular goalkeeper Danny Black and inventive midfield player Ashley Tuite, but the side Fairclough sent out could not have been described as “weakened”. After all Gough was up front alongside Wayne Fittall, who was making his last appearance before suspension, and Dan Bonneywell. But Pembury’s defence, that included an outfield player who was asked to play in goal only at the last minute, largely controlled the formidable City front three, except for the three strikes. The first came after seventeen minutes. Calum McGeehan was again eye-catching with his ball
 control and passing. He sent over the centre that Fittall powerfully headed in. Pembury were not dispirited and caused deputy goalkeeper Ade Gower several problems, though the gale was equally to blame for his one or two errors. To the relief of the home crowd, Dan Bonneywell curled a shot over the Pembury deputy goalkeeper, who was similarly frustrated by the way the ball was being moved in the air. Any thoughts that from then on in City would stroll to victory were swept aside after thirty-eight minutes when the defence failed to close down an attack and a shot from the left went inside the far post.
Defensively, City were not at their best. Even Justin Hodge and Sam Baker were less composed than they had been in so many previous matches. The whole defence was exposed again two minutes from half-time when a long shot flew over Gower’s head to bring the teams level at the interval.
Encouraged by their recovery, Pembury stormed into the second half. City could not get proper control of midfield, neither were they able to provide their strikers with much in the way of inviting passes. But after sixty-five minutes McGeehan made an elusive run at the Pembury defence and gave Gough a chance to crack the ball into the net inside the far post. He took it well.
 Far from being safe from the possibility of Pembury coming back to snatch a draw, City had to spend the last quarter of an hour on their heels. This was far from the way they had hoped to finish their last home league game of the season. The final whistle had never been more welcome. The Promotion banner was brought out, but as somebody said: “Now put it away….until next season”. CITY: Gower; Baker (O’Brian), Hodge, Brooke, Webb (Seager), Gutsell (Solly), McGeehan, Lawford, Fittall, Gough, Bonneywell. Click here to return to the News page
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