Folkestone Invicta 1-0 Whitstable Town - Fuming Munday: We've been let down by the officials again!

Tuesday 25th August 2009

FOLKESTONE INVICTA v WHITSTABLE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 25th August 2009
Mike Green reports from Cheriton Road

AN 89th minute winner from left back Josh Burchell extended Folkestone Invicta's unbeaten start to the season, and left rookie Whitstable Town boss Mark Munday, fuming over the 52nd minute dismissal of Jake Gess that undoubtedly changed the game.

Until that point, the game had been an even contest, but following Gess' dismissal, Invicta laid siege to the Oystermen's goal, and although the 10 men defended valiantly, in the end Burchell's last gasp winner propelled Folkestone up to second in the table level on points with new leaders Godalming Town.

Gess' sending off (given a straight red card by referee Harris) wasn't the main part of Munday's post match complaint's, as he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk , he was more aggrieved about the lead up to it - "the thing that upsets me most is that we've been hampered again by the officials. Everyone in the ground saw the lad (Burchell) make a right hash of the throw; the game should have been stopped and we get a throw midway in their half. Instead, because the game wasn't stopped, Jake goes in for a silly challenge; their skipper (Michael Everitt) hits the deck and we're down to ten."

What followed the sending off wasn't good to watch as a melee / brawl developed involving 14 or 15 players many of whom had to be pulled apart by Munday and Folkestone boss Neil Cugley, who also spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game. "It wasn't good to see," Cugley said, "and I know its an old cliché but as it happened almost on top of our dug out, I didn't actually see what caused it. But there's no place in football for something like that."

And on the night of shameful scenes elsewhere on and off the pitch, Cugley's comments are very poignant!

Back to the game itself, and the three points extended Invicta's unbeaten start to four - a run in which they've conceded just once. "I'm delighted that we've got ten points already," said Cugley, "especially when you remember all the trouble we had in the summer we could have started with minus 10! Our defence has been terrific, but I'm a little disappointed that we haven't scored more. Again tonight, especially after the sending off we could have scored two or three more but we didn't."

Munday on the other whilst fuming over the Gess ending off was full of praise for his remaining 10 players.

He said: "I'm both delighted and disappointed - delighted with the way we played after Jake's sending off, but gutted at the way we switched off at just the wrong time and allowed the player to score which was a straight forward goal at the far post!

“But I'm sorry to keep harking on about it but I feel let down by the officials again. On Saturday they all missed a blatant head butt (in Whitstable's win over Merstham), and tonight they've missed the most blatant foul throw you'll ever see!"

The first half was an intriguing contest that could have gone either way. Folkestone started brighter and had two great chances in the opening ten minutes.

On 8 minutes Michael Yianni brought the best out of Whitstable keeper Kevin Fewell with a low drive which the keeper finger tipped around the right post, whilst David Cory then put a header wide from a pin point Jimmy Jackson cross. The former Oystermen striker got away from his marker but his header drifted wide.

At the other end Folkestone were indebted to Burchell for clearing Gess' prodded effort off the line, whilst just past the half hour came the chance of the half.

Dan Dolton left three Folkestone defenders in his wake, and crossed from the left for Ian Batten to shoot. Unfortunately for him, his shot ballooned into the ground only to land at the feet of striker Dan Wisker, who snatched at the chance from six yards and could only divert the ball high over the bar.

The second half began quietly until the sending off on 52 minutes changed the game!

For all of their dominance for the final 38 minutes of the game, Folkestone were made to work very hard indeed as wave after wave of Amber and Black attack founded on the Whitstable defensive wall of red which was magnificently marshalled by the immense Dan Tanner and the brilliant Gary Sayer.

They survived an aerial bombardment as the home side sent in cross after cross after cross, and when the red Wall did creak, the finishing didn't match the delivery.

Unfortunately for Folkestone their best two chances fell to the head of Frankie Chappell, but the young defender (who was majestic all night) was off target.

The first one was came from a long cross from the right by Josh Vincent, but from the second (from Darren Smith's deep centre) Chappell powered a header wide of Fewell but the bounce also beat the right post.

With just 11 minutes left, Jimmy Jackson's left foot (which I once heard described as the best left foot in Kent football) was inches away from opening the scoring. The former Gravesend (where he had been a team mate of Munday and his assistant Paul Lamb) and Margate midfielder curled a free kick over the wall and beyond the despairing Fewell, but also beating the right post.

Then came the Folkestone joy and Whitstable heartbreak as Burchell got behind the visitors defence to get on the end of Driscoll's long cross to side foot the ball home!

So Folkestone go up to second in the early season table, whilst Whitstable are left to rue what might have been!

Both sides now have a break from League action as the FA Cup comes a calling - a competition that both managers have happy memories of!

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith (Billy Sommerville 84), Michael Yianni (John Driscoll 75), James Everett, David Cory, Jimmy Jackson.
Subs: Liam Dickson, Billy Swallow, Paul Egan.

Goal: Josh Burchell 89

Whitstable Town: Kevin Fewell, Gareth Cornhill, Tom Parker, Dan Tanner, Alex Hossick (Greg Smith 64), Gary Sayer, Ian Batten (Dominic Elmes 90), Jake Gess, Stuart Vahid, Dan Wisker (Clint Gooding 58), Dan Dolton.
Subs: Steven Lloyd; Marc Morrison

Bookings: Dan Wisker 32; Alex Hossick 59

Sent off: Jake Gess 52

Attendance 338
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr James Slaney (Brighton, East Sussex) & Mr J Ridout