eastvfolk210404

Folkestone don't have any wind in their Sales

Eastleigh 2-1 Folkestone Invicta
Dr Martens League Eastern Division
Wednesday 21 April 2004
by Richard Murrill

Two goals from the Dr Martens League’s leading goalscorer Paul Sales condemned Folkestone Invicta to defeat as they went down 2-1 away to fourth-placed Eastliegh on a wet pitch at the Sparshatt Stadium on Wednesday night.

Eastleigh thus join fellow Hampshire club Bashley as the two teams to have completed a league ‘double’ over Invicta this season following their win by the same scoreline at the Westbourne Stadium back in September.

This was a competitive encounter and not any sort of end-of-season stroll between two sides who had already been promoted with disappointing home results at the weekend.

SALES opened the scoring after 29 minutes when he hit a low shot into the net after 29 minutes when Neil Davis dinked the ball in to striker Jamie Stokoe and it came back out to Sales.

Invicta were level in the 43^rd minute when Mark MUNDAY put the ball in after John Guest’s header had appeared to have already crossed the line before being cleared away following a Martin Chandler corner form the left.

The corner had been won as a result of a fine fingertip save from burly home goalkeeper Wayne Shaw to keep out a James Dryden shot when the striker had been put clean through by Anthony Hogg in a move started by captain Scott Lindsey.

But Eastleigh restored their lead when SALES headed home substitute Sam Carter’s cross from the right hand side in the 51^st minute.

Invicta went into the game with Drew Watkins and John Ayling in the starting line up for Adam Flanagan (work commitments) and Steve Lawrence, with Micheal Everitt pushing up into midfield.

Eastleigh had the game’s first real chance after just three minutes when Stokoe was given on-side and left one-on-one with goalkeeper Tony Kessell, only for Lindsey to clear off the line.

Stokoe then shot against the crossbar when put through again after 12 minutes as Eastleigh broke following Invicta’s first corner of the game at the other end.

Just after Sales’ opening goal, Invicta goalkeeper Kessell flew across to his right to push another Sales shot round the post for a corner when Tyronne Bowers broke down the right hand side and played the ball across to his one-time Salisbury team mate.

But Invicta were to equalise and the two sides went in level at half time after Eastleigh’s Ryan Ashford had shot just over from 30 yards right on the stroke of the interval.

Invicta replaced Watkins with teenager John Walker for the second half, but were soon behind again.

Dryden headed just wide from a Paul Lamb free kick deep on the left hand side after 70 minutes as Invicta chased an equaliser.

But Ashford chipped just wide with a clever piece of skill at the other end after 72 minutes when he combined well with Sales down the left.

It was end-to-end stuff as a Hogg shot was touched round the post for a corner at one end after 77 minutes and Eastleigh broke down the other end as substitute Robbie Matthews shot at Kessell after getting in behind Lamb following Chandler’s subsequent corner.

Big Matthews was denied by a great double save from Kessell after 83 minutes and substitute Walker cleared a third effort from close to the line. That came moments after Invicta had themselves had an effort cleared from close to the Eastleigh line.

Invicta’s Lee Blackman played the ball across the Eastleigh goal mouth and just ahead of striking partner Dryden after 84 minutes when a great ball from Walker sent him away down the right hand side.

Davis shot into the side netting from outside the penalty area for Eastleigh after 88 minutes as the home side took the points.

Invicta’s Chandler was the only name taken by female referee Janie Frmapton for dissent after Dryden had been fouled in the 38^th minute.

EASTLEIGH: Shaw, Wyeth, Warren, Bright, Collins, Davis, Bowers (Carter 45 mins), Woods, Sales, Stokoe (Matthews 75 mins), Ashford.  Unused subs: Richardson, Beck.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Everitt, Lamb, Watkins (Walker 45 mins), Guest, Lindsey, Chandler, Munday, Dryden, Ayling (Blackman 65 mins), Hogg.  Unused subs: Dyson, Egan.

Attendance: 194.