ashfvfolk270104

Hambley double sees Folkestone into last four

Ashford Town 1-2 Folkestone Invicta
John Ullman Kent Senior Cup Quarter-Final
Tuesday 27 January 2004
Richard Murrill reports from The Homelands

Folkestone Invicta progressed to the semi finals of the John Ullman Kent Senior Cup when two first half goals from Tim Hambley proved enough to see them through Tuesday night’s quarter final tie at a bitterly cold Homelands.

Hambley was playing his first game since extending his loan spell from Welling United into a second month and celebrated by opening his account for the Folkestone club.

Simon Elliott pulled a goal back for Ashford after 77 minutes and Invicta had to survive a tense finale as the home side went in search of an equaliser.

Hambley and striker John Ayling came into the starting line up for Peter Overton (cup tied) and Drew Watkins (hamstring injury), with Martin Chandler switching to right back.

Chandler was involved in the decisive moments of the first half and saw a free kick touched over the crossbar by goalkeeper John Whitehouse following a foul on Anthony Hogg.

And it was from Chandler’s 31^st minute cross from the right that HAMBLEY found himself in yards of space inside the penalty area before taking his chance well to open the scoring.

Ashford’s former Bromley midfielder, Joe Wade was then booked for a foul on Hambley after 32 minutes.

And HAMBLEY struck again after 41 minutes when he drilled the ball in at the far post after Chandler’s corner from the left fell to him.

Invicta lost midfielder Mark Munday to a calf injury after 42 minutes, with Micheal Everitt coming on to replace him.

Invicta’s two-goal cushion took some of the attacking edge out of their game after the interval.

Ashford introduced a third striker in Joby Thorogood on the hour to join an attack of Stone and Dave Powell, the latter making his home debut on loan from Welling.

Little Thorogood stabbed the ball wide with his first touch after 61 minutes and Stone shot wide from outside the penalty area when Aaron O’Leary played the ball forward after 65 minutes.

At the other end, Hambley missed out on a hat-trick when he had two bites of the cherry after a Chandler corner from the left fell to him at the far post, with defender Martin Anderson clearing his second effort off the line.

Ashford substitute Barry Gardner hit a crisp shot at goalkeeper Tony Kessell after 75 minutes and Invicta’s Everitt was booked for a foul in the same minute.

Ashford were thrown a lifeline after 77 minutes when the ball was threaded through to ELLIOTT and he hit a well-struck shot into the roof of the net.

There was drama during injury time as Ashford had penalty appeals turned down and Invicta goalkeeper Kessell escaped with a yellow card when penalised for handling outside the penalty area.

When O’Leary’s subsequent free kick deflected off an Invicta defender and a goal kick was awarded. Thorogood was booked for leading the Ashford protests and referee Venamore had to run the gauntlet of disgruntled home supporters at the final whistle.

ASHFORD TOWN: Whitehouse, Adlington, O’Leary, Anderson, Cumberbatch (Thorogood 60 mins), Wade, Azzopardi (Gardner 70 mins), Bower (Saunders 71 mins), Powell, Stone, Elliott. Unused subs: Gillman. 

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Chandler, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, Hambley, Munday (Everitt 42 mins), Dryden, Ayling (Blackman 78 mins), Hogg.  Unused subs: Dyson, Egan.

Attendance: 244.

To advertise here, telephone Stephen McCartney 07979 418 360