Ryman Reports: Saturday 9th December 2006

Folkestone Invicta suffered a heavy home defeat when they crashed 4-1 against Boreham Wood at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon, writes Richard Murrill.

History tells that Invicta have a habit of struggling when centre half Adam Flanagan is missing, but the Folkestone side would still have been disappointed by the emphatic manner of the visitors’ victory even in the absence of the suspended home captain.

Boreham Wood opened the scoring in the 33nd minute when Leon Archer headed in Greg Morgan’s cross from the right.

And the skilful Morgan made it 2-0 in the 49th minute with a sweet strike across goal from the right hand edge of the penalty area.

It got even better for the visitors when James Everitt was booked for brining down Chris Watters after 55 minutes and Chris Bangura capitalised on a slip by defender Keith Rowland to make it 3-0 when Archer sent in a free kick from the left.

Former Northern Ireland international and ex West Ham United player Rowland was making his Invicta debut at left back after joining the club from Welling United following Steve Norman’s departure to Dartford.

The Boreham Wood forward line were making it look all too easy and Archer struck again to make it 4-0 in the 81st minute when Simon Thomas squared the ball to him after a Bangura ball over the home defence.

There was some consolation for Invicta in the 84th minute when Kevin Watson made it 4-1 with a well-struck penalty following a trip on Luke Howell.

Howell then broke down the left hand side of the box a minute later and played a dangerous low ball in which defender Ryan Moran cleared from close to the goal line just ahead of Mark Saunders.

But the points by then were safely won for the Hertfordshire club.

Archer had shown trickery down the left hand side of the penalty area after eight minutes and put in a dangerous low cross as the visitors’ won the game’s first corner.

At the other end, Paul Jones shot wide when striking partner Damian Abel played a good ball in from the left hand side two minutes later.

Archer was wide at the far post for Boreham Wood after 16 minutes when Morgan played a ball in from the left just in front of Thomas in the middle.

A Watson free kick flew just in front of Saunders on the half hour mark following a foul on Abel.

Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell made a sensational one-handed save to deny Luke Gregson afer 31 minutes following a Watters corner on the right after Watson had cleared Paul Burrows’ dangerous cross from the right.

But Archer’s opening goal soon followed and the visitors never looked back.

Burrows then shot at Kessell from outside the penalty area after Morgan burst down the right hand side in the 42nd minute.

And the visitors came out strongly at the start of the second half as Kessell saved from Bangura within 30 seconds of the re-start and Morgan soon made it 2-0.

Boreham Wood goalkeeper Noel Imber made his first real save of the game after 51 minutes to deny Howell as Invicta sought a way back.

But the visitors increased their lead and looked like scoring again after 67 minutes when Archer squared the ball across to Thomas but Kessell saved from point blank range.

Jones hit a low shot on the turn at Imber from the edge of the penalty area after 74 minutes when James Everitt played the ball in to Abel.

As well as James Everitt, there were bookings for Invicta’s Abel (dissent after 64 minutes) and Rowland (foul after 68 minutes).

Micheal Everitt captained the Invicta side in the absence of the suspended Flanagan.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, J. Everitt, Rowland, Watson, Friend, Howell, M. Everitt, Abel, Jones, Saunders, Corbett (Sly 60). Subs: Guiver, Rainbow, Dickson, Stonebridge.

BOREHAM WOOD: Imber, Cox, Moran, Burrows, Smith, Gregson, Morgan (Samuel 81 ), Thomas (Harrison 81), Bangura, Archer, Watters. Subs: De Lisser, Hart, Horton.

Attendance: 313.

After an almost three weeks break due to the weather, Chatham Town finally saw some action and they certainly came back with a bang, winning 3-1 at Walton Casuals on Saturday, writes Neil Sanders.

The first goal arrived in the 11th minute when a Darren Smith shot was blocked by an arm.

Smith converted the penalty himself although the keeper did get a hand on it.

The rest of the first half was fairly even and Walton Casuals got the equaliser five minutes before the break.

A good run straight down the middle by Greg Ball ended with a low shot just inside the post from 20 yards.

Chatham came out strongly after the interval and had restored their lead within five minutes, and what a stunner it was.

A quick break out of defence set Smith free on the left with the front pair making good ground into the opponents area.

The cross was perfect and the flying far post header from Rob Denness matched it to find the top corner.

John Whitehouse then made a great block save at the other end as David Ocquaye got clear of a solid Chatham defence for the first time.

Chats made the game virtually safe on the hour mark with another excellent goal.

Ross Finn collected a clearance 10 yards inside the opponents half and headed straight for goal. A neat one two with Luke Harvey put him clear to finish superbly inside the far post.

The movement off the ball to create space was excellent and even the home supporters applauded this goal.

Both keepers made fine tip over saves to preserve the scoreline towards the end although Chats nearly nicked another in the closing moments when Harvey caught home keeper Matt Reed off his line.

The only downside of the day was a nasty injury to the mouth sustained by Steve Best, which required some patchwork from physio Andy Hyland.

Chatham Town: Whitehouse, Binks, Finn, Larkin, Goodger, Best (Douglas 73), Smith, Brooks (Lyons 87), Harvey, Denness, James. Subs: Miles, Winter-Nolan.

That elusive first win over Burgess Hill Town looked to be in Sittingbourne's grasp as they went in to a 2-0 lead after 50 minutes but a combination of poor finishing and some very odd refereeing meant that the points were shared with the West Sussex club, writes Peter Pitts.

Sittingbourne were without Steve Williams owing to a knee injury, this gave young Josi Willis his first start in goal.

Also missing through injury was Mark Lovell whilst Clint Gooding, who is also carrying an injury, was on the bench.

Sittingbourne started in confident style and got their noses in front after 7 minutes when a Lee Hockey throw found an unmarked Paul Ainsworth lurking in the Hillians area and he prodded the ball past on loan from Ramsgate keeper Chris May.

Sittingbourne continued to press whilst Burgess Hill rarely threatened Willis. However, on 26 minutes he was called into action to make an easy save from Mark Pulling's looping shot.

Two minutes later Lee Browning latched onto a free kick and found the lively Jon Neal but Neal's shot was miss-hit and sailed over the bar.

Sittingbourne had a good shout for a penalty on 39 minutes when a defender appeared to handle the ball in the area but the referee disagreed and indicated that it was the shoulder.

A minute later a 40th minute Kieran Marsh special was well held by May.

The second half was just five minutes old when the Brickies extended their lead as a poor clearance from a defender found its way to Mitchell Sherwood who struck the ball through the legs of May and in to the net.

Sittingbourne's elation lasted barely five minutes as Ashley Jarvis struck a shot straight at Willis but the Brickies keeper could only palm the ball back to the Hillians player and he struck it back into the net.

Sittingbourne regrouped and Steve Searle picked up a poor clearance and sent in an effort that looped just over the bar then Jon Neal found Browning on the left but his shot went high and wide.

On 67 minutes Burgess Hill thought that they had equalised when Joe Dowley put in to his own net but the move leading up to the "goal" was started by an off side player.

A minute later Browning and Searle swapped passes before Browning fired goal-wards but May made a comfortable save.

On 74 minutes the Hillians claimed a penalty themselves after an Ainsworth challenge in the area but the referee deemed that he got the ball fairly.

The Hillians did equalise on 83 minutes but the goal was surrounded by controversy as Lee Browning was clearly fouled just outside the Hillians area but with no decision given the ball broke eventually to Jarvis who fired in a 25 yard cannonball that gave Willis no chance.

Straight after this Sittingbourne should have regained the lead as a brilliant run by substitute Andy Doerr ended in him passing inside to Sherwood who had done well to make it in to the area but from almost under the bar Sherwood saw his effort fly upwards and over the bar.

The Hillians won a free kick just outside the Brickies area deep into injury time but the Brickies faithful breathed easier when a defender headed the ball over, and both sides had to settle for a share of the points.

Sittingbourne: Willis, Ashmore, Dowley, Ainsworth, Searle (Gooding 78), Marsh, Browning, Spiller, Neal (Doerr 73), Hockey, Sherwood, Subs: Nichol, Akhazzan