Sevenoaks Town 4-4 Folkestone Invicta - Eight-goal epic good advert for Kent football - Jones

Underdogs Sevenoaks Town, currently sixth-bottom in the Kent League table, met a Folkestone Invicta side that were in third place in the Ryman League Division One South table.

This game proved that the FA Cup is the greatest Cup competition in the world, producing a thrilling eight-goal epic in front of a sun-kissed 143 at Greatness Park.

Sevenoaks Town fully deserved to go into the break with a 1-0 lead, gifted to them by a goalkeeping blunder from Charlie Mitten, which striker Marcus Elliott accepted, scoring his third goal of the season, after sixteen minutes.

Folkestone Invicta, who have lost just once in four league outings this season, and that was to leaders Walton & Hersham, who were dumped out of the FA Cup by Kent League side Hythe Town today, were simply shockingly poor during the first half.

Invicta appeared to be heading for an embarrassing exit when Sevenoaks skipper Andy Constable netted the second after 61 minutes - but four more goals followed in a crazy ten-minute spell.

Step forward Invicta star midfielder Jimmy Jackson, and Sevenoaks’ joy was short-lived as Jackson pulled a goal back just 125 seconds later.

However, just 82 seconds after that, Folkestone Invicta turned the game on it’s head, to bring the game back to 2-2, through James Everitt, now playing as a striker.

Sevenoaks regained the lead again just four minutes through midfielder Steve Evans but after James Dryden had a headed goal ruled out for offside, Jackson clawed his side back on level terms after 71 minutes.

And when Dryden gave Folkestone Invicta the lead for the very first time in the match, with just seven minutes remaining, that appeared to be game, set and match for Folkestone.

But step forward Sevenoaks substitute Dwayne Gibbons, who scored a dramatic last-gasp free-kick to earn his side a deserved replay at Cheriton Road on Tuesday night.

Folkestone Invicta made two changes to the side that earned a scrappy 1-0 win at Sittingbourne in midweek, with Byron Walker coming in for Jimmy Corbett and James Everitt replacing the on-loan Andy Pugh.

And after 12 minutes, Folkestone Invicta’s left wing-back Mark Green slid in to nick the ball off Chris Walker and released Byron Walker down the left.

And after cutting in, the former Dover Athletic striker, stroked a low left-footed shot, which was turned around the near post by goalkeeper Jamie Williams.

But a catastrophic goalkeeping blunder from Mitten gifted Sevenoaks the lead soon after.

Mitten’s clearance was charged down by the advancing Elliott, who couldn’t believe his luck, and the striker rolled the ball into an empty net with his left-foot from six-yards.

Jackson’s left-footed free-kick from the right, looped over a crowded goal-mouth and bounced off the foot of the far post, with Byron Walker and Dryden in close attendance.

Dryden then unleashed a left-footed free-kick from the right-hand side, which flew over the bar and crashed into the fencing at the cemetery end of the ground.

Walker’s short corner was cut back to Jackson and this was met by Matt Bourne’s header across the penalty area, which was sent over the bar at the far post by James Everitt.

A miss-kick from Folkestone defender Liam Friend presented Elliott with another chance on goal, on the half-hour mark, but he couldn’t keep his left-footed drive down from thirty-yards.

At the other end, a move involving Dryden and James Everitt presented Jackson with a chance, but when he blazed over it summed up Folkestone’s sloppy play at the time.

Not phased by their higher league opponents, Sevenoaks fully deserved their lead at the break, as they looked like increasing their lead.

Evans’ cut-back gave striker Constable a sight on goal, but his right-footed shot on the angle from outside the box sailed just over Mitten’s crossbar.

Chris Walker played in Elliott, and after beating Bourne, his drilled shot was saved at the second attempt by Mitten.

Then, a through ball from Tom Olson, who only played because of an injury sustained by Andy Hart during the warm-up, sent winger Dwayne Morris on his way.

Morris burst past Bourne and Green through the middle and his left-footed drilled shot brought a smart low save by Mitten, diving to his left.

Sevenoaks followers could sense a giant killing could be on the cards as their side were committed for every ball and made Folkestone Invicta look very ordinary indeed.

Invicta came out early for the second half, expecting to fight their way out of this hole.

Jackson cut back a 56^th minute corner to skipper Lee Gledhill in space and his right-footed shot from the edge of the box flew past Williams, only to find the side netting.

But five goals were scored in a crazy ten-minute spell, starting with Constable doubling the hosts lead after 61 minutes.

Sevenoaks punished a mistake from Bourne and Elliott unselfishly square the ball to the unmarked Constable, who struck a fierce right-footed shot, which flew over Mitten’s outstretched hands into the roof of the net.

But their joy was short lived as Jackson, quickly by James Everitt, turned the game on it’s head.

A run down the left by Byron Walker saw the attacker cut into Sevenoaks penalty area and his shot drew a fine save from Williams, but Jackson was on hand to drill the ball into the roof of the net.

Then James Everitt was relieved to see his right-footed shot roll past the advancing Williams to find the bottom left-hand corner to spark the revival.

However, this is the FA Cup and lower league sides have a habit of fighting back and this is exactly what Sevenoaks did in the 69^th minute.

Elliott played Evans behind the Folkestone defence and beat Mitten inside the near post with a low shot that kept the Kent League sides dream alive.

But when you have Jackson in your side, you’re not going to lie down and die. Dryden had a headed goal ruled out for offside before Jackson brought Folkestone level with nineteen minutes remaining, with a left-footed shot that found the bottom left-hand corner.

At the other end, Chris Walker’s cross was glanced wide by a header from Elliott and after Gledhill’s high diagonal ball found Green, Jackson went agonisingly close when his drive bounced just wide of the far post.

Folkestone strikers Dryden and James Everitt both called Williams into action in what was an intense spell of pressure from the Ryman League visitors.

And when Folkestone Invicta took the lead for the very first time, with just seven minutes remaining, that was surely enough.

Defender Liam Friend takes credit for setting up Dryden, who drilled home the seventh goal of an extraordinary game, thanks to a ricochet inside the penalty area.

But with three minutes remaining, Gibbons came off the substitutes bench to replace Michael Cook, and went on to earn his side a deserved replay.

With every Folkestone player behind the ball, Gibbons cracked a stunning right-footed free-kick from just outside the D, over the wall and went in via the crossbar and Mitten.

That goal was timed at 47:54 - the final whistle blew at 48:51 - a great time to score your first goal of the season!

Proud Sevenoaks Town manager Simon Jones was right when he admitted the game was a great advert for football here in Kent.

“It was a fantastic advert for local football,” Jones told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “I’d put money on you don’t see a better game on Match of the Day tonight.

“Ups and downs, where we were elated for a period of time. We thought we had the game at two-nil.

“Folkestone were magnificent, they put us under a lot of pressure and got right back into the game.
“We snatched another one, back upon a high, they equalised, they took the lead. No. It was a crazy game but for us to score with almost the last kick of the game, marvellous! You can’t ask for more than that.

“The spectators would have gone home very happy, although I’d be tearing my hair out a little bit tonight!”

Jones was ever so pleased with his side and admitted they relished the chance of causing a giant killing.

“Football’s a great leveller, it really has been and especially in Cup games,” he said.

“Had we been playing a league game against Folkestone, I’m sure they’d rolled us over, absolutely positive about it.

“But Cup game, different attitude. The guys in the Sevenoaks dressing room (were) really eager to prove a point against the higher league opposition and I think they did, certainly for the first half.

“I thought there was only one team in it at half-time but second half Folkestone did lift their game and showed why they’re in the higher league and credit to them really.

“They put us under a lot of pressure in that second half and it was unfortunate that we crumbled a little bit. They got the goals but as luck had it we managed to stay in the tie and we meet the guys again on Tuesday.”

Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley was in a sorry state of disappointment afterwards and admitted his goalkeeper had done something that Sunday League players would have done after a night on the tiles.

“I was disappointed with the first two goals we have away, it was Sunday morning goals I think,” a dejected Cugley told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“It was even worse, Sunday afternoon goals I think these were, the ones we gave away.

“To be fair to Sevenoaks, first half, I thought they matched us and that was disappointing.

“Because we were losing we then had to change our formation really and try something and luckily it came off for us today.

“We put James Everitt up front there and I think he caused them a few problems.”

Cugley went on to slam certain players but admitted some thought they just had to turn up to win the game.

“We’ve watched Sevenoaks, we knew everything about them,” said Cugley. “We had no excuses like to put on a performance like we did in the first half.

“We knew exactly what they were going to do, we just weren’t at the races at all first half.

“Give credit to Sevenoaks, they made it hard for us and some of their players will be really proud with the way they played, but I’m very disappointed with some of mine.”

If it wasn’t for the desire of Jackson, then it would have been Sevenoaks Town that would be hosting Ryman Premier League side Ramsgate in the first qualifying round in two weeks time.

Jackson raised the urgency as soon as Sevenoaks went 2-0 up.

“The only thing you do think (at 2-0 down is) if you keep plugging away there was still a long time to go and we couldn’t play any worse really,” explained Cugley.

“We changed things around and to be fair to the players they did respond and Jimmy Jackson started getting onto the ball and we started to then play quite well and eventually we wore them down and obviously they got tired and then to go 4-3 up you think that’s fair enough, what a great day and everybody shakes hands.

“Instead, we give a free-kick away right on the box and the lads curled it.”

Sevenoaks Town: Jamie Williams, Michael Cook (Dwayne Gibbons 87), Tom Olson, Andrew Griffiths, Darren Pearson, Chris Walker (Darrell Queeley 84), Steve Evans, Marcus Elliott, Andy Constable, Dwayne Morris (Marlon Button 59).
Subs: Andy Hart, Ian Thompson, Phil Edmonds, Chris Shilling.

Goals: Marcus Elliott 16, Andy Constable 61, Steve Evans 69, Dwayne Gibbons 90

Booked: Perry Spackman 67

Folkestone Invicta: Charlie Mitten, Lee Gledhill, Mark Green, Liam Friend, Matt Bourne, Micheal Everitt, Byron Walker (Josh Burchell 89), James Everitt, James Dryden, Nick Humphrey, Jimmy Jackson.
Subs: Jimmy Corbett, Liam Dickson, Kieran Byrne, Naz Jevons.

Goals: Jimmy Jackson 63, 71, James Everitt 65, James Dryden 83

Attendance: 143
Referee: Mr T Robinson (Bognor Regis, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr M McPhee (Gosport, Hampshire) & Mr K Edney (Bognor Regis, West Sussex)