Midweek match reports

Faversham Town 3-0 Lancing
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 21^st August 2007
By Tony Gray

A Graham Taylor hat-trick earned Faversham Town a well deserved victory and sets up a clash with South London side Colliers Wood United in the next round of the FA Cup (Sponsored by Eon) as the Lilywhites played host to West Sussex side Lancing in this extra qualifying round fixture replay.

Just over 48 hours earlier the two sides had played out an evenly fought match resulting in a one all draw.

Naming an unchanged side manager Paul Copley knew that if his team were to progress in the competition their luck in front of goal would have to change.

Five minutes into the fixture and lady luck did indeed smile on the home side.

A Steve Aslett cross fired in from the right hand side appeared to have been intercepted by Lancing’s keeper Richard Whittington, Whittington could only half clear and deflected the ball into the path of the goal bound Graham Taylor who forced the ball home with his chest.

Faversham Town should have made it two on fifteen minutes, a Richie Radbourne run down the left of the pitch saw him lose his defender allowing him the space to whip the ball into the six-yard area narrowly missing the far post, Julian Beal pounced as the ball dropped only to be denied by an instinctive save from Whittington.

Graham Taylor went close after connecting with a Radbourne free-kick and both Wes Hammond and Ian Pulman had shots on target as Faversham continued to dominate.

Rob Partridge had Lancing’s best chance of the half shooting just wide of Faversham Town keeper Scott Davenport’s right goalpost.

It was the Aslett, Taylor partnership which provided Faversham Town’s second goal of the evening just before the break, Aslett’s free-kick from the right picking out number 10 Taylor whose powerful header gave Whittington no chance.

Lancing emerged from the interval with Ricky Mitchell replacing Sunday’s scorer Sam Palmer up front.

Mitchell went close after connecting with a corner kick, his effort punched over the bar by Davenport.

Aslett had a free-kick well saved by Whittington but Faversham Town were soon celebrating their third goal of the evening when the lively Pulman crossed from the left into the path of Taylor who, after taking a touch, fired the ball past the visiting keeper.

A jubilant Taylor was replaced minutes later by Neil Crust and left the field of play to rapturous applause from the Salters Lane faithful.

Lancing 1-1 Faversham Town
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Sunday 19^th August 2007
By Tony Gray

Paul Copley’s Faversham Town side travelled to West Sussex for this FA Cup preliminary round fixture against Lancing hoping to erase the memory of last week’s horror start to the season.

From the first whistle it was evident that the ghosts of the 5-0 thumping by Erith Town had been laid to rest as the Lilywhites passed the ball more in the opening five minutes than the entire game against Erith Town.

Wes Hammond rose in the penalty area to head wide on 14 minutes with Ian Pulman forcing a fine save from Lancing’s Richard Whittington two minutes later.

The visitors continued to create chances and looked particularly effective down the right hand side with Julian Beal and Ray Turner interacting well together. Beal providing the inch perfect cross to Graham Taylor whose header narrowly missed the target.

Pulman’s ability to regularly beat the offside trap gave the Faversham Town number 9 several chances in front of goal, although it wasn't to be his day.

Lancing went close as the first half drew to a close, a free kick headed on by the hard working Mark Saxby fell to Rob Partridge whose left-footed strike flew, agonisingly close to Scott Davenport’s far post.

The half ended with another near-miss for the Faversham Town number 9, a Pulman solo run saw him skip through three tackles before hitting a low drive inches past Whittington’s left hand upright.

The second half started as the first had finished - a through ball finding Pulman in space with the resulting shot failing to trouble the home keeper.

The deadlock was finally broken on 50 minutes, Ray Turner collected the ball on the right side to outpace the defender and fire a cross into the box to be met by Graham Taylor whose right footed volley flew unchallenged into the back of the net.

David Read picked up a caution for a late challenge and the tireless Pulman was replaced on the hour by Ricky Freeman.

Faversham Town’s deserved lead was wiped out on 64 minutes following Referee Smith’s decision to award a free-kick on the edge of the area following an innocuous challenge.

Davenport could only parry the free-kick, the ball dropping to the feet of Lancing striker Sam Palmer who fired home with ease to level the match.

Lancing appeared inspired by the equaliser and the remainder of the game saw Davenport’s shot-stopping skills used to the full as the home side pushed forward looking for the winner.

The Lilywhites almost secured the win with only minutes remaining when Freeman let loose a shot from all of 30 yards, the shot appeared to have beaten the keeper but the veteran Whittington got a fingertip to the ball deflecting the shot onto the woodwork.

Following the final whistle Copley told www.favershamtownfc.co.uk  : “Based on last weeks performance, if you would have offered me a one all draw before the game I have to be honest and say that I would have taken it.

“However I have to say that now I'm disappointed that we didn't come away with a victory.

“Such was the level of our dominance over 90 minutes, I just couldn't ever see them troubling us, they got, what I thought was a dubious free kick and although Scott has dealt well with the shot they were quicker to react to the second ball.

“We said at halftime that the only way for them to get into this game was if we gifted them a goal and it unfortunately became true.

“However, other than their goal I thought we were at times superb. Ian Pulman was guilty of missing a number of chances but I have to say that it's great that we are now beginning to create those chances.

“It was never going to be an easy tie, having travel for 2 hours on the motorway and also playing at a neutral ground was challenging but I thought that we adapted well.”

A confident Copley added; “We’re all now looking forward to the replay and with no injury concerns and the prospect of a big crowd cheering us on, I'm sure that we can finish the task.”

Faversham Town: Scott Davenport, Mark Smith, Wes Hammond, Luke Williams, Julian Beal, David Read, Steve Aslett, Ray Turner, Richie Radbourne, Ian Pulman (Ricky Freeman 62), Graham Taylor.
Subs: Matt Boyce, Sean Hetterly, Jamie Stellon.

Horsham 1-0 Folkestone Invicta
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 22^nd August 2007
By Richard Murrill

Folkestone Invicta were left without a point from their opening two Ryman Premier League matches of the season after going down to an early penalty at Horsham on Tuesday night.

Saturday’s nightmare start to the season at home to Wealdstone had at least followed a trend which has seen Invicta lose their opening day fixture seven times in the past eight years.

But this latest setback ended a remarkable run in which Invicta had previously never lost their second fixture of the season in ten seasons under manager Neil Cugley.

To be fair, on another day Invicta might well have gone away from the Atspeed Stadium with a point, but for the third successive season the Folkestone club find themselves at the wrong end of the table during August.

The all-important goal came in the ninth minute when Lewis Taylor beat David Hogan from the penalty spot after centre half Liam Friend was adjudged to have pulled back Horsham captain Kevin Hemsley when a free kick from the left was flicked on following a foul by Samuel Kola Okikiolu.

The team news had not been kind to Invicta as they lost playmaker James Corbett to an ear infection, with Micheal Everitt coming back into the starting line up. At the back, new signing David Piper was the fall guy for Saturday’s defeat with Frankie Chappell coming in his for his debut at the heart of the defence and Kevin Watson moving across to right back.

Invicta’s determination to put Saturday’s result behind them suffered an early blow when Horsham were awarded what turned out to be their decisive penalty.

Goalscorer Taylor was instrumental in most of the home side’s best work and the midfielder shot just wide of the post from outside the penalty area in the 11^th minute when Gary Charman played the ball across to him after striker Lee Farrell had blocked Friend’s attempted clearance.

Carl Rook, Horsham’s top goalscorer last season, then headed a free kick from the left hand side wide after 14 minutes. Rook had been passed fit after being taken off at half time with a back injury in the Hornets’ opening day 2-0 win away to Maidstone but had to be replaced again before the half hour mark.

Invicta had a couple of long range Ryan Briggs shots to show for their early efforts and James Everitt fired wide from outside the penalty area after 17 minutes when Briggs played over Invicta’s first corner of the game from the left.

Taylor shot just wide of the far post when he took a ball over the Invicta defence down very well in the 34^th minute and substitute John Westcott’s shot deflected onto the Invicta post after 43 minutes when Lee Carney capitalised on Friend’s failure to clear and played the ball across to the right hand side of the penalty area.

Carney whipped in a dangerous cross from the left hand side which just evaded everybody in the middle after 50 minutes and a deep cross from Westcott on the right landed on top of the crossbar and onto the roof of the net a minute later.

But Invicta chased an equaliser and striker Damian Abel showed great skill and tenacity to curl a shot just over the crossbar from the edge of the box in the 67^th minute following a purposeful run when Charman gave the ball away.

At the other end, a Taylor shot flew narrowly wide of the post when the ball fell to him just outside the penalty area three minutes later.

Invicta replaced the injured Okikiolu with Piper in the 75^th minute, with Watson moving up into midfield as the visitors showed a real sense of urgency to save the day.

And the Folkestone side had penalty claims of their own waved away in the 78^th minute when substitute Ben Sly was clipped as he latched onto a James Everitt flick in a move also involving Watson.

Substitute Rob Knott put in a dangerous stoppage time cross when James Everitt played the ball out to him on the right flank, but the visitors’ only reward was a corner and not the equaliser which would have gone a long way to ease the early season pressure which has descended on them again.

HORSHAM: Mansfield, Graves, Brake, Howard, Hemsley, Taylor, Mingle, Charman, Farrell, Rook (Westcott 27), Carney. Subs: French, Myall, Salaam, Frankland.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Hogan, Chappell, Edge, Watson, Friend, Okikiolu (Piper 74), J. Everitt, Briggs (Knott 85), Abel, Bremner (Sly 68), M. Everitt. Subs: Dickson, Stonebridge.

East Grinstead 1-3 Herne Bay
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 21^st August 2007

Herne Bay progressed into the preliminary round of the FA Cup with a great result at East Court.

Jason Lillis’ men took the lead after 26 minutes when Aaron Firth was upended in the box and former Folkestone Invicta midfielder, Martin Chandler, made no mistake from the penalty spot.

But five minutes into the second half, Herne Bay goalkeeper, Jack Delo returned the favour and tripped Tom Saunders inside the six-yard box.

Saunders got up and smashed the resulting penalty into the net to bring East Grinstead level.

But Bay struck twice in the next six minutes. Chandler’s corner was cleared back to him and after cutting inside, he hit a first time cross and Dave Soutan glanced his header past Lee Whibley from the edge of the box.

Straight from the restart, Luke Harvey tackled defender Adam Dart and raced through before driving the ball under Whibley.

East Grinstead Town pushed forward for the rest of the game but Bay’s defence stood firm, with Aaron Burrett standing out in the heart of the defence throughout.

Herne Bay chairman, Mr John Bathurst said: “East Grinstead Town are a very strong outfit and will not remain in Sussex Division Two.

“With a big squad, with youth and experience, they play good football.

“Players that stood out were Drew Cooney and Dan Wackett (formerly of Crawley Town) and in the first game, Mannie Neville (a former reserve team player at Tonbridge Angels)”