We started fairly brightly and forced a corner in the opening minutes, thanks to good work by Kinsaba, but this came to nothing.
Raynes Park Vale took the lead on eight minutes, a floated ball cut out Murphy and dropped to Gabriel Adeslesa, and he was bought down by Ellaway. From the spot-kick Adeslesa rolled Raynes Park Vale into a 1-0 lead.
We responded positively, and after neat link up between Emery, Joseph and Kinsaba, Cousins was just unable to get on the end of the final ball into the box, and Eoin Fraser was able to gather. Sam Blowers played in Campbell on 12 minutes and although the forward pushed the ball beyond Fraser and Vic Okanoo, debutant Vanstone was just unable to get onto the loose ball and it went out for a goal kick.
We were almost caught out on 17 minutes, when miscommunication between Blowers and Emery almost let in Vale's Billy Murphy but we managed to get bodies round the ball and cleared the danger. A minute later and Joseph was too strong for Tom Goddard, but fired his effort over the crossbar.
We went close on 25 minutes, when a long ball forward by Murphy was flicked on by Campbell with Vanstone just unable to force the ball home. Almost immediately Vale themselves had a chance when Keano Robinson conceded a free kick on the edge of the are, but the strike by Joe Williamson went over the bar.
Just after the half hour and Vanstone almost created a chance for Campbell but his low cross was blocked, and a minute later Kinsaba again almost found Campbell but the Vale defence was holding firm. Campbell then bought a comfortable save out of Fraser.
We were continuing to hold the upper hand, but were unable to find that breakthrough, with Murphy planting a header from a corner straight at Fraser, and half time came with Vale holding a narrow 1-0 lead.
We opened the second half positively, but the first chance of the half fell to Vale, who saw Thomas Bentley hit a fierce drive that was well held by Ellaway. Murphy then deflected a Simon Moore shot behind for a corner as Vale looked to increase their lead.
Salmon replaced Vanstone with Rudolf Tewe on 55 minutes, as we looked to freshen things up. Just shy of the hour and Campbell, Joseph and Tewe linked up, with Josephs shot being blocked. Murphy crashed a header against the post on 61 minutes after a dangerous delivery from a Cousins free kick.
We continued to hold the upper hand, and after a free kick was half cleared, Cousins second delivery was flicked goalwards by Murphy but looped just over the crossbar. Robinson headed a Cousins corner over the crossbar on 67 minutes, before Vale made a change replacing the injured Okanoo with Gavin Bolger.
Davies fired wide from distance a minute later, and Salmon made his second change replacing Joseph with Adam Allen.
SCR finally levelled things up on 73 minutes, when Cousins did well to win possession on the left, and played a delightful ball over Williamson and into calmly who's lobbed volley over Fraser made it 1-1.
A minute later and it was almost 2-1 as another excellent Cousins delivery had Fraser in trouble, but neither Murphy or Davies were able to force the ball home.
Three minutes later and SCR took the lead. Substitute Rudolf Tewe did well on the right hand side, and set the ball back to Blowers, his cross was flicked on by Campbell and Allen dove to head home low to Fraser's right.
Campbell saw a shot well saved by Fraser low down to his left, and Salmon made his final change on 87 minutes, introducing goalkeeping legend Leigh Bowden for his 249th club appearance, in place of Ellaway.
Vale almost levelled things up on 88 minutes, when a low shot by Murphy was superbly defended by Davies.
The win was sealed in injury time, when man of the match Kinsaba beat his man and played a tremendous low cross into the area where Campbell was on hand to fire home.
# | Team | Pl | Pts |
11. | Spelthorne Sports | 44 | 61 |
12. | Knaphill | 44 | 61 |
13. | Sutton Common Rovers | 44 | 59 |
14. | North Greenford United | 44 | 58 |
15. | Colliers Wood United | 44 | 56 |
16. | Guildford City | 44 | 53 |
17. | AFC Hayes | 44 | 51 |