TOWN boss Frank Zanre admits his side were lucky to escape Buckinghamshire with all three points on Saturday after watching his side narrowly overcome the league's bottom team.

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division

Holmer Green 1 Kentish Town 3

TOWN boss Frank Zanre admits his side were lucky to escape Buckingham-shire with all three points on Saturday after watching his side narrowly overcome the league's bottom team.

The final score certainly flattered Town, who were just one goal ahead in the 90th minute and survived a series of scares as Holmer Green pressed in the second half.

"We didn't play brilliantly so we're happy with the three points," said the Town boss. "They deserved something out of the game, we got out of jail and 3-1 flattered us."

The first half was a tight affair and, although Town dominated most of the early exchanges, they found the division's basement boys in a resilient mood at the back.

Jonathan Donoghue, Sarfraz Parvino and Javier Rivera all had sights of goal, while Aaron Hutchins headed wide from a corner, but the home side were quick to charge down any attempts on goal and gave their opponents precious little space.

And despite their lack of possession it was Holmer who created the better chances, letting their opponents off the hook from two gilt edged opportunities.

Dean Allen somehow missed a simple one on one in the 21st minute - and pulled a hamstring in the process - while his replacement Andrew Parry contrived to put the ball over the bar from four yards.

Town rallied towards the end of the period and created their best chance of the half when Parvino crossed from the right for Rivera, who had time to take a touch eight yards out before forcing a stunning reaction save from Simon Mines.

And the visitors grabbed the opening goal 10 minutes after the break when Rivera and Parvino combined again, this time setting up unmarked centre back Hutchins, who steered the ball into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.

After a frustrating 55 minutes it seemed that Town had done the hard work in scoring, but they were immediately hit by a barrage of attempts on their goal.

Holmer's Andy Shed found space on the edge of the area but curled his shot wide of the near post, while Stuart Waller inexplicably ducked out of a free header at the back post when he seemed certain to score.

Town were indebted to keeper McDaid on two more occasions as he saved brilliantly from Lee Taylor, who found himself free six yards out after a deflection fell kindly to him, before putting out a foot to block the striker's near post effort 10 minutes later.

The visitors somehow weathered the storm, but Zanre's side had their hearts in their mouths again one minute from time as a lethal ball across the box missed the incoming strikers.

Daniele Quattromini had been brought on to add pace to the attack, but it was the introduction of Thomas Looney in the closing minutes which made the crucial difference.

Two minutes after replacing Parvino he flew down the right, cut inside and squared for Donaghue to finish at the near post.

And the relieved celebrations had barely finished when Looney scored himself, outpacing the defence again and driving the ball across Mines into the far left corner.

There was even time for Quattromini to miss the simplest of tap-ins two yards out, and for Shed to score a deserved consolation goal for Holmer, but Looney had already put the result beyond doubt.

"I think in the end the pace told when we brought the quicker players on, and Looney was an inspired manager's decision," joked Zanre.

"There's no easy games and years ago we would have come here and we would have lost. When we used to play the teams at the bottom we always used to struggle, and in the first half we struggled.

"In the second half we got the lucky goal and after they opened up we were able to snatch the other goals which made the difference."

He added: "I'm pleased with our start to the season. Normally we're slow out of the blocks and it takes us five or six games to get any points on the board, and now we're up to 10 from five games so I'm happy with how things are going at the moment."

The win moves Town up to second in the Premier Division table, and they now entertain Biggleswade Town at Copthall on Saturday.

Kentish Town: McDaid, Duffy, R Quattromini, Hutchins, Cole, Parvino (Looney 88), Donoghue, Dawson, Rivera (Butler 64), Doyle (D Quattromini 64), Hartles.