Kingstonian's last pre-season home game saw them tackle their biggest test so far against a powerful West Ham side comprising of reserves, youth and trialists, skippered by Scottish international Nigel Quashie.
Although their Premiership visitors were not surprisingly in control all game, with a lovely pacy passing game, a determined Ks did threaten throughout and Ian Pearce looked particularly dangerous upfront in the first half.
The Ks next friendly encounter is next Tuesday evening August 4th, 7.45pm k.o. when they travel to Godalming Town.
Next Saturday August 8th the K's travel to their old rivals Leatherhead for another friendly with a kick-off time that has been brought forward to 2pm.
Ks didn't seem too inhibited by their esteemed visitors and started strongly. Striker Carl Wilson-Denis sent in a high far post cross from the right that Pearce headed wide.
Then Pearce again got on the end of a cross this time from the left but this time he headed over.
On 12 minutes Irons striker Frank Nouble gave some idea of what was to come when his powerful drive was parried by Luke Garrard. Fellow striker Antony Edgar made it to the follow-up but again his well-struck drive was blocked by the K's skipper.
On 22 minutes the Hammers took the lead when Edgar sent in a dangerous curling free-kick from the left into the Ks goalmouth where centre back MATT FRY swept the ball home first time past a stranded Garrard.
Then Edgar took off on a long penetrating run and unleashed a powerful low drive that went wide.
The Ks heads didn't drop, Lewis Cook sent in a useful far post cross for Wilson-Denis but stretching he just failed to connect.
Ryan Lake then found Wilson-Denis in the Irons box where his powerful header was smothered by keeper Adam Street at full-stretch.
A long through ball from Liam Collins found Pearce who set NJ Lampton free in the away box but he overran the ball. On 29 minutes a classy individual goal when FRANK NOUBLE took off into the K's box, he shook off the attentions of Max Hustwick, and fired past the outcoming Garrard.
On 38 minutes the K's came back with some venegeance with a series of consecutive corners.
The best came from a short corner by Tommy Williams to Cook who accurately found Pearce deep in the Irons box and his header looked goalbound until a full-stretch Street pushed the ball out.
Back came the visitors when Olly Lee pushed a ball through to Edgar in the Ks box but again Garrard saved the effort.
Three minutes into the new half the Hammers put the game to bed. Francis Duku tried to roll the ball back to Garrard but the dangerous FRANK NOUBLE pounced, whisked the ball away and drove it into an empty Ks goal.
Williams replied with a powerful rising drive from the edge of the away box that just went over. It was then time for an army of substitutions and the game petered away as a spectacle.
On the hour Quashie, on the edge of the Ks box, was unlucky when his drive struck a post, with Garrard looking on.
A Cook free-kick from way out on the right saw a diving Street in a crowded box punch the ball away. On 75 minutes Ks sub Christian Jolley's edge of the box strike brought off a full-stretch save from Hammers sub keeper James Plazzi.
A free-kick from K's sub Luke Pigden saw Plazzi do well to hang onto the ball. Plazzi then punched clear another Pigden set-piece.
The visitors possession was impressive and energy sapping for the home side but the Ks kept chasing. With three minutes to go a run from sub Scott Simpson saw him hit the buffers in the visitors box, he still set up Jolley close in but he blasted over.
Ks. Luke Garrard (capt) (sub Josh Willis, 66mins) 2. Jamie Beer (sub Rob Sheridan, 56mins) 3. Ryan Lake (sub Tom Dilloway, 56mins) 4. Tommy Williams (sub Jon Coke, 60mins) 5. Francis Duku 6. Max Hustwick 7. NJ Lampton (sub Scott Simpson, 66mins) 8. Liam Collins (sub Luke Pigden, 60mins) 9. Ian Pearce (sub Reggie Savage, 66mins) 10. Carl Wilson-Denis (sub Christian Jolley, 66mins) 11. Lewis Cook.
Subs: 12. Jon Coke 13. Josh Willis (G/k) 14. Luke Pigden 15. Tom Dilloway 16. Rob Sheridan 17. Scott Simpson 18. Christian Jolley 19. Reggie Savage.
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