The Kingston Borough derby went the way of Kingstonian yesterday, despite a late Corinthian-Casuals fightback.

A 2-1 win over their landlords in the last match of 2018 lifted K’s into second place.

Manager Leigh Dynan was delighted to end on a high after an often difficult twelve months. His team began the calendar year playing home games in Leatherhead and struggling for points in the Bostik Premier. Now the club is back in Kingston and in the hunt for promotion.

“I’m happy for the group, for the board and the fans”, he said. “It was nice to hear the supporters in good voice, it’s Christmas, we’re second and we’re getting better all the time!”

K’s were impressive throughout and took the lead when Palace loanee James Daly connected with a low cross which the Casuals defence should not have allowed to reach the backpost.

In front of a raucous crowd of 631, the nominal away team kept up the pressure and it took a goal-line block from former K’s youth defender Jack Strange to prevent the lead doubling.

After the break, Daly had a fine strike disallowed for offside, Elliott Buchanan hit the back of the net before also being denied by the linesman’s flag and goalkeeper James Bracken made a series of superb stops.

Eventually, the pressure told when Alfie Doughty’s wicked delivery across the face was turned in by Strange for an own goal in the 81st minute.

Just as the game appeared settled, Casuals grabbed one back, Gabriel Odunaike accepting a Christmas present from the K’s defence with 7 minutes remaining.

But K’s saw the result out, much to Dynan’s relief. “We gifted them a goal,” he added. “It was a cock-up between the two centre-halves. Defensively, it had been sown up until that happened”.

K’s next host Merstham at King George’s Field on New Year’s Day.