Muhammadu Faal’s return to the K’s forward line has coincided with two consecutive wins and the talented 21-year-old promises there is more to come.
“We haven’t even hit full stride,” he said after making a goalscoring return to the starting line-up at home to Margate on Saturday. “Everything’s really tight at the top and the next few weeks and months will be the test.”
Faal struggled with hip and foot injuries in September and had to bide his time to make it back into the first XI. With winger David Fitzpatrick out for a few weeks, he has slotted in on the right-wing to immediate effect. “Whatever the gaffer asks of me, I’ll do that”, said the striker, who played for L’Aquila in Italy’s Serie C three years ago before returning to English football with Dulwich Hamlet. “My skill-set is driving forward and dribbling. The wing positions create opportunities to do that.”
Against Margate, after a cagey first-half of few chances, it was Faal who scored the crucial opener, running onto a loose ball in the box and sweeping it home first-time across the keeper for his third goal of the season.
The Gate hit back soon after, George Brown capitalising on some hesitant defending, but with 12 minutes remaining, Faal skipped through two challenges, advanced towards the area and played a perfectly weighted pass to Louie Theophanous, who rounded the keeper and finished from the tightest of angles.
“I’ve had to be patient,” Faal admitted. “I’ve not played 90 minutes for a while. But I feel I played well, I felt great at the end and am raring to go. I don’t need a rest!”
Kingstonian followed it up with a 4-0 success at Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday evening, which lifted them into 4th place in the table. Faal again featured on the right-side, with on-loan Dartford striker Delano Sam-Yorke scoring a second-half brace after an early James Daly penalty put the K’s ahead ahead.
But K's had Rob Tolfrey to thank for a stunning first-half save which kept the score 1-0 at the break and allowed for a comfortable victory, which also featured Mano Gogonas’ first goal of the season.
Afterwards manager Leigh Dynan heaped praise on Temi Eweka, a new signing at centre-back who made an assured debut for the club. “He did exceptionally well in his first game at this level. He’s a young lad with a lot of potential. Temi was at Dartford before he was at VCD Athletic. The question was ‘could he step up?’ and he did. He’s not even trained with us yet.”
Dynan also confirmed that Tolworth-local Alfie Doughty’s loan from League One Charlton has been extended for another month. K’s head to Enfield Town on Saturday before hosting FA Cup heroes Haringey Borough at King George’s Field on 1 December.
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