A 14th minute own goal by Jonathan Perry kick started the Knights into action on a pitch that we in NZ would not graze sheep on:-)
Hahahaha, it was a shocker and it would help if the groundstaff could cut the grass in one direction because it looked dreadful on tele....much like the actual first half action.
Perry and Darren Young were both pulled off in the 26th and 27th minutes respectively as Ken Dugdale either panicked or made a calculated change to the Kingz formation, who were deeply in danger of getting a serious hiding at this stage. On came Miyazawa and Mark Beldham and from then on the Kingz managed to hold on.
A Patricio Almendra free kick from 30 yards was palmed onto the bar by Martin Johns and three Kingz forwards were lining up....Vlahos putting it into an open goal from 6 yards right on the stroke of half time.
A shame really cos a lot of us were hoping he'd get dropped. Donkey.
Anyway, whatever Dugdale and Stu Jacobs said to the Kingz at half time did the trick as they came out a different side. Knights played like the Kingz did in the first half.
Ngata got on the end of a Beldham cross to put the Kingz up but it was tense to the end with Utting making a save but hitting his head on the post. His injury held the match up for 4 minutes but he came back and made two outstanding saves, one where F'arodo should have scored.
The Kingz also got pretty physical and suffered 4 yellows and one red, with Chris jackson being rightly ejected for stamping on a Knights player.
He'll get 3 weeks at least.
It was relief to hear the whistle blown for fulltime. Disaster averted.
Kingz 2-1 winners...and they scored all three goals!