Walton & Hersham 3-1 Folkestone Invicta

Sunday 25th March 2007

Folkestone Invicta were thrown back into the relegation dogfight as they went down 3-1 at Walton & Hersham on Saturday afternoon despite taking an early lead, writes Richard Murrill.

Defender Liam Friend’s first senior goal for the club after just five minutes had given Invicta a perfect start, but Neil Cugley’s side carried little goal threat after that. And the visitors came unstuck during a bizarre spell either side of half time during which the home side scored their three goals and also missed one of their two penalties.

Second-from-bottom Walton & Hersham still look likely to be relegated from the Ryman Premier League but have now taken ten points from their last five matches.

Invicta kept faith with the same starting line up which had beaten league leaders Chelmsford City the previous Saturday and went ahead early on after being awarded a free kick right on the edge of the penalty thanks to an assistant referee’s flag.

Rob George was booked for his protests and Invicta took full advantage as Friend, who celebrated his 19^th birthday the previous day, opened his account when he slotted the ball into the net after Kevin Watson’s deceptive low free kick eventually fell to him following a stray touch from a defender.

Gibrilla Kargbo shot narrowly over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area after 14 minutes.

But the game did not come to life until the closing stages of the first half.

The drama began when Richard Martin caught George just inside the penalty area down the right hand side when the goalkeeper raced out to clear. But Invicta escaped as George himself put the 40^th minute penalty wide of the post.

Micheal Everitt then made a saving tackle to deny George at the expense of a corner when Lawrence Yiga played the ball into the box.

And the Swans were level from Ashley Dumas’ subsequent 44^th minute corner from the right hand side which was turned in by striker Sam Baldock in the middle.

And the home side went ahead during first half stoppage time when Yiga converted their second penalty in quick succession after his cross from the right had bounced up and hit James Everitt on the hand.

And Yiga, on loan from Margate, struck again within two minutes of the second half when he found the net after a ball down the middle had the Invicta defence in trouble again.

It was the second time that Yiga had scored twice against Invicta as he had done the same for Margate in 2-1 Kent Senior Cup win at Hartsdown Park last February.

Invicta responded by making a double substitution after 52 minutes as Paul Lamb and Paul Jones replaced goalscorer Friend and James Everitt and the visitors switched to four at the back.

Centre forward Ellis Remy fired wide across goal with a rare Invicta chance from a very tight angle after 56 minutes following a good ball forward from Lamb.

George ran through the middle and shot at goalkeeper Martin after 65 minutes as the home side remained in control.

Captain Adam Flanagan got a vital headed touch to put a Yiga free kick from the right out for a corner after 77 minutes.

Martin kept out substitute Warren Waugh’s close range header after Liam Wright’s 83^rd minute cross from the left and Kargbo hit a free kick just over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area three minutes later after a foul by Flanagan on Waugh.

Remy blasted over when the ball fell to him in the box during stoppage time, but a final corner count of 10-0 in the home side’s favour highlights the fact that this was not a potent day for Invicta as an attacking force.

Walton & Hersham: Webb, Murphy, Dumas, Kargbo, Jenkins, Cartwright, Yiga (Smith 89), George, Baldock, Robinson (Waugh 73), Wright (Butler 84). Subs: Williams, Ojo.

Folkestone Invicta: Martin, Watson, Sly, Flanagan, Friend (Lamb 52), J. Everitt (Jones 52), M. Everitt, Abel, Remy, Corbett, Okikiolu. Subs: Saunders, Guiver, Stonebridge.

Attendance: 141.