hastvfolklgecup281003

Changes prove costly for Hastings
Hastings United 2-6 Folkestone Invicta
Tuesday 28 October 2003
Dr Martens League Cup
by Richard Murrill

Folkestone Invicta recovered from going 2-0 down within the opening ten minutes to turn the game around with five second half goals in a 6-2 Dr Martens League Cup win away to Hastings United on Tuesday night.

Drew Watkins had pulled a goal back during the first half at the Pilot Field before James Dryden (2), John Ayling (2) and John Guest struck to give Invicta what was by the end a comfortable victory against a young Hastings side.

Like its professional counterpart, the League Cup is now an often derided competition in some quarters and one in which managers are inclined to experiment. Hastings opted to start this tie with just goalkeeper Will Toal out of the eleven which had begun Saturday's Eastern Division win over Ashford Town.

But the home side played some inventive football, particularly during the first half, and stunned Invicta with two early goals from Danny Ellis.

Ellis lobbed Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell to open the scoring after just seven minutes when a big kick from goalkeeper Toal took the ball over the Invicta defence down Hastings' right hand side.

And Ellis struck again to make it 2-0 after ten minutes with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area when Hastings broke again.

But Invicta were thrown a lifeline after 16 minutes when Watkins was presented with a simple tap in when goalkeeper Toal made a mess of  dealing with Mark Munday's cross from the left after a misunderstanding with defender Graham Morris.

Hastings continued to create chances as Russell Eldridge shot at Kessell when the home side spread play from right to left after 19 minutes and Steve Hafner shot just wide at the far post against one of  his former clubs after 22 minutes.

At the other end, Toal failed to hold Dryden's cross from the left after 27 minutes and was relieved to see the ball come back off the far post.

Ryan Peters forced a corner for Hastings just before half time following a dangerous run into the Invicta box as the home side took a lot of positives out of their first half performance.

A turning point came after 52 minutes when Ellis was denied a hat-trick as his low shot came back off the Invicta post following another neat one-two with Hafner.

Within five minutes Invicta were ahead as Dryden struck twice for the visitors.
 
It was 2-2 after 55 minutes when Simon Stickney was booked for bringing down Anthony Hogg and Dryden's header from a deep James Millar free kick on the left went in via the underside of the crossbar and goalkeeper Toal.

Dryden put Invicta ahead when he calmly slotted the ball home after Micheal Everitt had put him through.

It was now all Invicta as Allan Tait was put through the middle on the hour, but Toal managed to keep out his shot.

Toal made a great save after 64 minutes when a cross from the right came off a home defender and that same minute Millar struck the crossbar with a shot from outside the penalty area, with Dryden unable to make it two hat-tricks in
consecutive matches from the rebound.

Watkins then scuffed his shot at the far post after 68 minutes when Dryden sent the ball over from the left after Dan Larkin had played the ball down the flank.

Ayling was to replace Dryden after 70 minutes and was soon in the action as he volleyed against the crossbar after 73 minutes when the ball came in from the right hand side.

Substitute Ayling was not to be denied as he intercepted a weak back pass to go round goalkeeper Toal and make it 4-2 after 76 minutes.

Centre half Guest made it 5-2 when he headed in substitute Darren Winfield's corner from the right after 84 minutes.

And Ayling completed the scoring with the last kick of the match when he burst through the middle from a Watkins ball and made the finish look easier than it probably was.

Hastings United: Toal, Henham, Morris, Stickney, Sands (Heasmer 72 mins), Peters (Cruttenden 74 mins), Spiller, Hafner, Eldridge, Graham, Ellis (Cornwall 62 mins).

Folkestone Invicta: Kessell, Everitt, Lindsey, Larkin, Guest, Hogg, Watkins, Munday (Chandler 79 mins), Dryden (Ayling 70 mins), Tait, Millar (Winfield 79 mins). Unused subs: Flanagan, Egan.

Attendance: 190.