Folkestone Invicta 1-1 Hythe Town - Taking chances has been our problem, admits Scott Porter

FOLKESTONE INVICTA  1-1  HYTHE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Bank Holiday Monday 26 August 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says his goalscorer Johan Ter Horst put in a sensational performance during the big coastal clash against neighbours Hythe Town.

Cugley’s side ended a run of three defeats on the spin when they collected a point against Hythe Town to remain in the bottom five in the Ryman League Division One South table with four points from six games.

Folkestone Invicta took the lead with only 20 minutes left when striker Ter Horst, 18, scored his ninth career goal in only his sixteenth start for the club, but Hythe Town maintained their unbeaten away record when striker Shaun Welford stabbed home a deserved equaliser with eight minutes left.

Hythe Town slipped down a place to tenth in the table after winning two and drawing three of their six league outings.

Cugley quickly emerged from the home dressing room and expressed his thoughts on an entertaining game.

He said: “Obviously disappointed at the end not to nick it but to be fair they could’ve had a couple of goals very early on. Kingy’s hit the bar, we had another shot from Matt Newman that should’ve hit the target right at the end, so disappointed that we haven’t won.

“But as I said just to the players there, I was very pleased with the attitude.  To be fair both sides, everybody gave everything. I think everyone’s committed.”

Hythe Town boss Scott Porter added: “I think it could’ve went both ways to be fair.  We had two early chances in the first half and they’ve got back into the game and had chances. I thought it was quite an entertaining game to be fair, a few mistakes at either end. Any team could’ve won it at the end.

“I suppose a fair result is a draw to be honest with you with the chances we had - and the chances they had.”

But Porter was pleased that the local bragging rights are shared ahead of the return fixture at Reachfields Stadium on Boxing Day.

“It’s a tough, tough place to come. Locally, the rivalry wise with the clubs and the players’ and me living in Folkestone and Neil living in Hythe, so there’s a lot living on the game and to be fair no one wants to lose the game so I suppose a fair result especially losing so late on (at home to Hastings United) on Saturday to come back from being a goal down and then coming back and showing a little bit of character is definitely what we have in the changing room today and out there the character was good and we got our rewards with a good, decent goal.”

Hythe Town squandered an excellent chance to open the scoring after only 78 seconds on a warm and sunny day at Cheriton Road.

Hythe left-back Darren Winfield clipped the ball up field and Folkestone Invicta central defender Frankie Chappell made a rare mistake when his attempted header back to goalkeeper Roddy Hayward failed to reach its target and Welford latched onto the ball and flashed his right-footed angled drive agonisingly past the far post from eight-yards.

Porter said: “You have to take your chances and we haven’t done and that’s why we didn’t win on Saturday and we didn’t win Tuesday (at home to Whitstable Town) because we didn’t take our chances in the final third and being clinical enough.  Maybe that will come with a bit more sharpness so yes that’s been our trouble so far.”

Folkestone Invicta’s opening chance arrived shortly afterwards when midfielder Roland Edge threaded the ball through to Dane Luchford who cut into the penalty area before powering his right-footed drive over from fifteen-yards.

Hythe Town supporters thought their side should have been 2-0 up with only four minutes and 15 seconds on the clock.

Skipper Dave Cook stole the ball in midfield before sending Michael Yianni through the middle on a 30-yard run before playing the ball outside to right-winger Rhys Lawson, whose right-footed shot was blocked by the advancing Hayward when he only had the keeper to beat.

Porter said: “It’s a great move to be fair. We hit them on the break.  Yianni’s done well and got the ball and released Rhys who has a lot of pace and the keeper’s made a great save.

“You go and get those two you fancy yourself to finish the game off but it didn’t happen. If you don’t take your chances you don’t win games. That’s been our problem so far this year.”

Cugley added: “You have to credit the other side. They started well. Frankie’s made a bad header back, which is unusual for him and Roddy, who has come in goal for us, made a really good save.

“I thought we were the better team in the second half – I’ve got to say that – they were the better than us first half.”

Folkestone Invicta striker Stuart King sent a left-footed chip on the turn towards goal from 22-yards but his speculative effort was easily caught by visiting keeper Dan Eason.

Folkestone squandered a better chance inside an open first ten minutes when right-back Phil Stevenson was given time and space to whip in a cross with his right-foot and Ter Horst beat his marker at his near post to plant his header wide from six-yards.

The intensity started to die down a bit and Folkestone were denied again in the 19^th minute when Stevenson clipped the ball over the top of the Hythe defence and Tom Hickman’s back header let in Luchford who was denied by Hythe right-back Ryan Cooper who came across in the nick of time to direct the ball over his own crossbar.

“He should’ve put it low to the keeper,” added Cugley.  “You’re always told to keep it low down the side of the keeper, so I’m a bit disappointed with that. He’ll be disappointed that he didn’t score, but when you look back on chances, they were hard weren’t they?”

Folkestone swiftly forced three successive corners, all of which were taken by Luchford and Matt Newman was left unmarked but his header sailed just past the far post.

Luchford then swung in another corner from the right towards the far post for Chappell to rise to send his header over the bar from six-yards.

Just past the half-hour mark, Winfield played a good ball upfield to Yianni, who held the ball up before laying the ball inside to busy midfielder Ronnie Dolan, who stroked a right-footed deflected shot past the post from 25-yards.

Folkestone Invicta linked up well inside Hythe’s half of the field with King and Newman before the ball came out side to Stevenson, who cut the ball on to his left-foot before floating a cross into the box for Newman and Luchford to jump to send the ball sailing past the far post.

However, Cugley’s side should have drawn first blood in the 41^st minute.

Once again it was King and Newman that linked up well and Stevenson took a touch before floating in another cross into the penalty area with his right boot and King’s diving header went straight at Eason from ten-yards.

“There were chances,” said Cugley. “You’re not going to score with every chance, are you?”

Porter added: “They say, if you keep Kingy quiet you keep Folkestone quiet!”

Hythe Town created a couple of decent chances within 14 seconds of eachother towards the end of the half.

Dolan clipped a free-kick into the Folkestone penalty area but Yianni glanced his header straight at Hayward.

The Folkestone keeper threw the ball to Hythe midfielder Hickman who played a low centre across to Welford, who cracked a left-footed shot on the turn over the crossbar from eighteen-yards.

Despite both sides’ numerous first half chances the game was goal-less at the break and both camps rallied their troops for the second half.

Cugley said: “I just said we needed a bit more talking really, a bit more confidence and keep playing really. We are a footballing side and we have to keep playing that way, not suddenly change.  When Burchell came on for Luchford, who was injured, he came on and looked lively, which was good.”

Porter added: “It was end-to-end at some stage, wasn’t it?  They’ve got some good players, they play attacking football.  They’ve got some pace and we knew that and I think their league position is false.

“We just needed to be a little bit sharper. I got into the boys they needed to be sharper, a bit more quality in the final third and don’t complicate things. We’re getting openings. We just needed to be organised because they do try to hit you on the break so you do need to stay organised and disciplined and that’s basically what we did.”

Hythe Town squandered another clear-cut chance inside the opening five minutes of the second half.

Right-back Cooper floated in a cross which Welford did well to head back across goal and Lawson smashed his right-footed half-volley over the bar from eight-yards.

Porter said: “That’s a great move! We pin-pointed Shaun out and he’s made a great cross from Cooper and Rhys has run in behind him and if he hadn’t hit it so sweetly it probably would’ve gone in!  He’s hit it so sweetly and it didn’t go in!  There were chances at both ends.”

Folkestone Invicta improved when Cugley introduced Josh Burchell for Luchford, who was forced off the pitch with a hamstring injury.  Luchford was watched in the main stand by older brother Justin, who now scouts for Cugley.

Hickman gave the ball away to Ter Horst who picked up the ball up, cut inside and stroked a right-footed shot into Eason’s gloves from 25-yards.

King’s flicked header released Ter Horst down the left channel and he played the ball inside to King, who selfishly popped a shot over the top of the near post from a tight angle.

Good play by Burchell started a Folkestone counter-attack just before the hour mark and Stevenson got down the right wing before playing the ball inside to Ter Horst, who cut into the penalty area before drilling a left-footed shot agonisingly over the bar from fourteen-yards.

Burchell scuffed his left-footed shot on the turn rolling past the right-hand post from 22-yards after Newman’s knock down.

Poor defending from Tommy Osborne, resulted in Ter Horst cutting into the penalty area and before striking at goal himself, he cut the ball across to King, but the ball lacked power and Pat Kingwell saved the day for Hythe to thwart a certain goal.

Cugley gave this piece of advice for Ter Horst: “Really he maybe should’ve been a bit more greedy on his own! He’s tried to pass it and there was not quite enough on it so that’s disappointing because it was the important part of the game, but I think there was 20 minutes there where they couldn’t keep with him.”

However, Folkestone Invicta opened the scoring just 40 seconds later through man-of-the-match Ter Horst.

A header forward by left-back Nat Blanks split Kingwell and Osborne and put Ter Horst through on goal, who kept his composure to slot his left-footed shot through Eason’s legs and into the net.

Cugley heaped plenty of praise on the goalscorer and said: “The lad’s different class! What a player he is! He’s just 18. He’s just sensational! 

“Nat Blanks done well with a header and then Johan’s gone in behind and does that he does well and put it in. He’s class mate. I think he’s the best youngster that I’ve ever seen!

“I think where he can go in football, I don’t know. He’s just eighteen, he’s movement is sensational and you can imagine if you put him in and no disrespect to my players, better players, I just think he’s destined to go where he wants to go.”

Porter added: “Johan, who I rate him highly, I think he’s decent and he showed his quality today.”

The Hythe Town boss added: “Their goal is a mistake from us. Johan’s got in behind our two centre halves but we gifted them, not gifted them a goal, we’ve gifted them a chance to score and he’s put it away, so yes we’ve gifted them a goal.  The two centre halves switched off.”

A run from King carved open a chance for Ter Horst, whose right-footed shot was blocked by Kingwell and the ball rolled into Eason’s gloves at the near post.

But Hythe Town ensured they claimed a share of the spoils with an equaliser with eight minutes left.

Osborne intercepted a pass and slipped the ball to Lawson down the left and the former Herne Bay and Faversham Town striker cut into the penalty area before smashing the ball low and across the face of goal for Welford to slide in and poke the ball into the back of the net from within a yard.

Porter said: “We’ve got the character to go on and get something out of the game and we matched them and went 4-3-3 after (they scored) and I thought we looked good at 4-3-3.  I thought we put them under a lot more pressure than we did in the first bit of the second half.

Porter added: “That’s what Rhys has got. He didn’t have a lot of chances to get at the full-backs today, but you only have to give Shaun one chance and that’s what he’s got and he’s a goalscorer.

“After being 1-0 down we showed a lot of character after Saturday. It was a big game. It’s a massive game for the football club, for Hythe and Folkestone. They’re close-nit towns so to come back and do that is pleasing.  The boys showed a lot of character to do that.”

Cugley felt the goal should have been chalked off due to an earlier infringement.

“I’ve asked the lads and they all said the same,” he said. “The ball got played up to Johan, he was fouled. He was kicked from behind and they (the officials) didn’t give the foul, played it out wide, crossed it in and scored, so we’re disappointed with that really. It was definitely a free-kick. The referee hasn’t seen it in the build-up and they’ve scored.”

When asked whether he felt disappointed that his side failed to hold on to their lead, the Folkestone boss replied: “Not so much hold on, go and get the second goal really, that’s what you want to do, but again credit the other side.  You can’t always moan about your own team. Sometimes you have to credit them. They’re having a go.

“At that stage of the game I though it’ll be either 1-1 or 2-0.  At that time Johan was causing a lot of problems. I thought we might’ve got the second.”

Hythe Town were almost gifted a goal when substitute Jamie Collado whipped in a cross from the right and was spilt by Hayward, who saved face by gathering the loose ball before it bounced over the goal-line.

But Cugley felt his side should have won it with two golden chances inside stoppage time.

Burchell played the ball inside to King, who cracked a left-footed curler on the turn from 25-yards, which sailed over Eason before bouncing agonisingly on top of the crossbar and out to safety.

Cugley said of King, who has scored two goals in six games this season: “When he does things like that, what a class player he is.  He’s got tremendous skill, he’s curled it and he’s hit the bar.

“He’s having a bit of bad luck with things like that. He could’ve had lots of goals so far this year. Thing’s haven’t quite gone for him but to be fair to him I thought he worked quite hard.”

Osborne almost gifted Hythe Town the winner when in an attempt to shield the ball out of play, he lost the ball to Ter Horst, who cut the ball back to an unmarked Newman, who steered his right-footed shot just past the near post when he should have hit the target.

Cugley said: “Matt apologised to the lads. We don’t really miss them and he’s come back late on in the game quite tired and he hasn’t quite put much on it. To be fair he mostly strikes a good ball. He’s disappointed in there but generally he’s alright.”

Porter admitted Osborne “had a mad fifteen minutes,” but he wants to extend the defender’s loan-spell at Reachfields and will be contacting Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders shortly.

“I’ve got a good relationship with Jay, so I’ll speak to Jay this week to see how he’s set with Maidstone and go from there.

“Ozzie’s been brilliant since he’s come to the club on loan from Maidstone. I can’t fault him for that because he’s been immense for us. We got away with the first one but he’s just said on there he just had a mad fifteen minutes!”

Both managers admitted they were pleased with the share of the local bragging rights.

Porter said: “You’re 1-0 down away from home with what nine minutes to go, well you’d take that all day long away from home.  We just need to pick up our home form.

“I think it’s a fair result. I think Neil will say that as well.”

Cugley agreed: “Maybe it’s a fair result in the end but you just feel like when you’re 1-0 up you always want to win the game don’t you?”

Meanwhile, Cugley invited Porter into his office before the game, a gesture that the Hythe boss appreciated.

“I’ve known Neil for a long time. I’ve got a lot of respect and time for him. He’s been there and done it and I’m only young.  I sat in his office for fifteen minutes before the game and we’ll have drinks upstairs (after the game). I’ve got a lot of time for him. I’ve got a lot of respect. We’ve got a good relationship.”

Hugely-respected Cugley added: “He’s alright. I try to get on with everybody. He does a good job down there. He’s made them a big club really. Financially, I suppose, they’re better off than us, so that’s where we’ve got to get Folkestone to being a big club again. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s taking a couple of years now but we’re getting there.”

Folkestone Invicta: Roddy Hayward, Phil Stevenson, Nat Blanks, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Matt Newman, Dane Luchford (Josh Burchell 52), Shane Hamshare, Johan Ter Horst, Stuart King, Roland Edge.
Subs: Jake Beecroft, Josh Vincent, Chris Elliott, Simon Austin

Goal: Johan Ter Horst 70

Hythe Town: Dan Eason, Ryan Cooper, Darren Winfield, Pat Kingwell, Tommy Osborne, Ronnie Dolan, Dave Cook, Tom Hickman (Nick Barnes 85), Shaun Welford, Michael Yianni (Jamie Collado 82), Rhys Lawson.
Subs: Craig Cloke, John Walker, Connor O’Hara

Goal: Shaun Welford 82

Booked: Tom Hickman 55, Dave Cook 61, Ronnie Dolan 73

Attendance: 485
Referee: Mr Kevin Welsh (Sittingbourne)
Assistants: Mr Darren Eaton (Crowborough, East Sussex) & Mr Steve Brown (Ashford)