A commanding performance from keeper Peter King and his defence kept Worcester Park five points clear at the top of the table, writes Darren Talbot.

The first half was an extraordinarily dull affair with Park being sucked into Knaphill’s long ball game with no width and there were times when it looked more like a schoolboy match with all 22 players on one side of the pitch.

Towards the end of the first half Park started to take command though and both Gary O’Leary and Richard Ingham went close.

The second half was much improved with the ball finding the turf more often but the ball just did not fall for the home team and it was in fact Knaphill who managed all the efforts on goal and Peter King was at his best denying 5 or 6 goal bound efforts throughout a frantic second half and the visitors even had the ball in the net midway through the second half but it was ruled out for a clear offside.

A fantastic Trevor Lucas strike was tipped onto the bar by the Knaphill keeper as Park kept themselves in the game but the goal still wouldn’t come and a stalemate looked the most likely outcome.

However what turned out to be a magnificent double substitution turned the game. Kyle Green, on for Carl Chaney, created what is fast becoming his trademark goalmouth scramble as he caused chaos with his speed and the ball fell for Steve Gardiner who drove the ball home with his unfavoured right foot with just six minutes remaining.

With Hartley Wintney surprisingly losing at home, Worcester Park kept ahead of the chasing pack which is now led by Cobham. With games in hand on the leaders there are a number of teams who could yet overtake Park but gutsy performances like this will keep the pack at bay for some time yet.

Worcester Park: P King; Drew, J Williams, Petruzziello, D Dunning; Chaney (Green 70), Lucas, Ingham, G Knowelden (Gardiner 74); J Dunning, O’Leary. Sub not used: S King.