folkestone290805

Thursday 01st September 2005

Honours even in six-goal Kent thriller

Monday 29th August 2005	Ryman Premier League	Stephen McCartney reports from The Courage Stadium
Bromley	3	Fraser Logan 60 Nic McDonnell 62 Mark Willy 90
Folkestone Invicta	3	James Dryden 22,33,52

This was the first ever league meeting between Bromley and Folkestone Invicta and having interviewed both managers after this six-goal thriller, just proves football can be a very emotional game, writes Stephen McCartney.

Bromley dominated the opening twenty minutes only to find themselves 3-0 down thanks to James Dryden hitting a hat-trick inside thirty minutes.

However, Bromley boss George Wakeling must take credit for making a double substitution a minute before his side pulled a goal back, through Fraser Logan, as Gavin McGowan and big target man, Wade Falana came on and sparked fear into Folkestone's defence.

And within two minutes of Logan scoring, Nic McDonnell headed home the second to give them hope.

Falana, however, who was booked for pushing Adam Flanagan after 68 minutes, was shown a straight red card for swearing at the assistant referee after 89 minutes.

But central defender Mark Willy headed home a dramatic equaliser 135 seconds into stoppage time, sparking wild scenes of celebration, leaving the away fans in the 409 crowd stunned.

A lesson to all football fans. NEVER leave a football match early, as you can never tell what's going to happen!

Chance after chance were created and squandered by the home side in the opening twenty minutes with Adolph Amoako, Fraser Logan, former Invicta midfielder Barry Gardner and Tutu Henriques having attempts on Tony Kessell's goal.

However, at the other end, Steve Norman's corner kick was flicked on at the near post by Adam Flanagan, which was tipped away by Bromley goalkeeper, Andy Walker.

And from the resulting throw in, Folkestone took a controversial lead.

Stuart Myall unleashed a long throw towards the Bromley goal mouth, which Walker flapped at and the ball sailed into the far corner of the net. However, referee Mr S Rubery claimed someone in the crowd got a touch to the ball as it flew into the net.

However, that "touch" came from striker Dryden - well, he's claiming it anyway!

The goal stunned the home faithful into silence and they found themselves 2-0 down eleven minutes later.

Matt Bower did well to win the ball in midfield off Mark Willy and he played the ball to Myall, who sent Dryden on his way. The 25-year-old striker did ever so well to steal the ball of Bromley's South African defender, Steve Potterill on the edge of the penalty area, but Dryden's finish from 16 yards was clinical.

With nine minutes before the break, Myall's right footed shot from 25-yards sailed wide, after a lay off from Simon Glover, as Invicta hit Bromley on the counter-attack.

And after McDonnell headed Allan McLeod's header straight at Kessell, Myall almost benefited from a poor clearance from Walker, but his 35-yarder dropped just over the bar.

Fraser Logan's cross from the left flank was headed over by an unmarked McDonnell from only eight yards out a minute before Dryden completed his hat-trick in the 52nd minute.

The ball rolled off a Bromley defender and instead of letting the ball go out for a corner, Myall played on, running along the by-line and sent in a cross to the far post, which was met by a powerful Dryden header, which went across Walker to find the far corner.

After Wakeling's master-stroke, where he replaced defender Andrew Julius and striker Amoako - Bromley pulled a goal back on the hour mark.

Falana and McGowan made an instant impact on the game, as Falana powered a header into the box for McGowan, who was denied by Kessell, but Logan smashed the ball into an empty net.

And two minutes later, a corner from former Ashford Town midfielder, Gardner was met by McDonnell at the near post to head home..

Falana and McGowan took the game by the scruff of the neck and after 71 minutes Kessell tipped McDonnell's shot from the edge of the box over the bar and from the resulting corner Falana planted a header agonisingly wide.

But Dryden had a chance to put the game beyond Bromley's reach with 12 minutes left.

Latching onto a through ball, which split Bromley open, he only had Walker to beat. But the former Invicta stopper stood tall, and Dryden's shot looped off his body and dropped just over the bar.

And with four minutes left, Dryden was unlucky when his left-footed free kick from the right hand side of the box, from 19-yards, clipped the top of the crossbar.

But when Falana was shown a straight red card with a minute left, was that the end for Bromley?

Well, no it wasn't! McCleod sent over a corner kick, which was met by Willy and honours in this Kent clash were even, leaving one manager jubilant and one dejected.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk after this six-goal thriller, Bromley boss George Wakeling said: "I thought the first 25 minutes we were all over them. It's just a question of getting a couple of goals and killing the game and it didn't happen.

"We made bad mistakes and they put them away and all of a sudden we've got an uphill fight.

"I just think we showed a lot of character and heart and came back from 3-0 down to 3-3. I've got to be delighted with that."

Speaking about his double substitution sparking their revival, Wakeling added: "We've got options and you try to get a balance and hope it works and today it wasn't happening.

"I thought it was working in the first 25 (minutes) but we just didn't put the chances away. We created good chances, it just didn't happen.

"But we changed the pattern of play, two big boys down the middle, a man just behind them, two wide men putting in crosses and it hurt them."

Wakeling admitted the club's injury crisis is causing him a major headache.

"We've got the nearly men that are nearly fit and the men not fit and a long way to go," he said.

"The bottom line is I'd rather be having a hard job and drop people because (at the moment) the teams picking itself.

"But we're struggling with injuries. I could name you six players now that could be doubtful for next Saturday (at Hendon)

"At the start of the season I would have thought they would be in my team."

However, Invicta boss Neil Cugley was visibly dejected at the final whistle, having seen his side surrender a good chance to win the game.

"We had chances to kill them off but credit to them, they threw everything at us and the disappointment was we didn't deal with it very well," he said.

Speaking about Falana and McGowan's contribution, Cugley added: "They are big strong lads, but we haven't got John Guest at the moment and we didn't really deal with them very well. But even so, we had chances to finish it off.

"When they're 3-0 down they've got nothing to lose. They threw everything at us but we should have been able to pick them off," he said.

Bromley travel to Hendon's Claremont Road on Saturday (1pm), aiming to end a miserable run of not winning there. They haven't won there since - well it's been that long!

Meanwhile, Cugley is hoping his side bounce back when Heybridge Swifts visit the Buzzlines Stadium (12:30pm).

Bromley: Andy Walker, Steve Potterill, Mark Willy, Andrew Julius (Gavin McGowan 59), Tutu Henriques, Des Boateng, Barry Gardner (Henry Darko 86), Allan McLeod (Capt), Adolph Amoako (Wade Falana 59), Nic McDonnell, Fraser Logan. Subs: Adam Locke, Joe Vines

Sent off: Wade Falana 89

Folkestone Invicta: Tony Kessell, Kevin Watson, Paul Lamb, Adam Flanagan, Steve Norman, Scott Lindsey (Capt), Michael Everitt (James Everitt 73), Stuart Myall, James Dryden, Matt Bower (Martin Chandler 73), Simon Glover (Paul Jones 76). Subs: Joe Neilson, Kieran Mann (GK)

Attendance: 409
Referee: Mr S Rubery
Assistants: Mr M Ford & Mr N Lugg