Play Off Bound Invicta Edge Past Bay

Folkestone Invicta (2) 2
Chappell 3, Elliott 45

Herne Bay (0) 1
Nelder 61

Attendance: 211

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Tuesday 18th March 2014.
(at Cheriton Road)

by Peter Guise

Invicta continued their march toward the play-offs with a solid performance against a spirited Herne Bay.

For the most part, Herne Bay’s central pairing of Connor Sanders and George Benner dealt competently with the Premiership bound Johan Ter Horst, reputedly for a sum sufficient to ensure the main stand is repaired following storm damage.

But it was Invicta who were to score first. As early as the third minute they forced their first corner of the game. It was cleared but possession given up as Invicta swept the ball out to the right and the resulting cross picked out Frankie Chappell, unmarked, in the area and his sweet volley rocketed past Jack Delo. Not the happiest of returns for the former Folkestone custodian. Another returning to the Cheriton Road arena was Herne Bay’s principal striker, Stuart King, he was to have little luck on the night either. The home side’s back four step up smoothly and quickly and King, along with other visiting attackers, would be found slow to regain onside positions. This defensive back line know each other well and their forward movements at these times are, instinctively, as one without the need for mega-decibel cries of “OUT!”

The remainder of the first half was to offer chances for both sides. Delo pushed Ter Horst’s 14th minute shot round the post for a corner. Tim Roberts in the Invicta goal saw action twice in the space of 60 seconds just before the half hour mark. First, he sprinted from his line to deny Jamie O’Connell and then grabbing Ben Brown’s drive from just inside the box. Folkestone, though, it was who scored next and at a critical time. With the clock ticking toward the interval, Connor Sanders upended Ter Horst just to the right of the penalty area, a tackle for which he received a yellow card, much to the disgust of the Bay bench. The visitors failed to set their defensive wall sufficient to cover the near post and Chris Elliott slotted his free kick through the vacant gap and inside the post with Delo guarding the far stick.

After the break, Herne Bay showed much energy and were duly rewarded just after the hour when Joe Nelder, on as a substitute a matter of minutes, strode through the Folkestone defence and drove home past Roberts. The visitors were back in this and the modest crowd would be treated to a scintillating show from then on as the game rocked backward and forward, from end to end until the final whistle sounded.

On this evidence there is little to suggest that Folkestone Invicta will not be in the play-offs come season’s end. Indeed, the gap between the play-off berths and the rest of the division widens by the week. Equally, Herne Bay showed that, even though just below mid-table, they have nothing to fear and anxious glances over the shoulder at the teams in the relegation dogfight is an activity consigned to last term.

Folkestone Invicta: Tim Roberts, Josh Vincent, Chris Elliott, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Matt Newman, Dane Luchford (Michael Yianni 77), James Everitt, Johan Ter Horst, Paul Booth (Phil Stevenson 90), Michael Everitt.

Subs not used: Roland Edge, Simon Austin

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner (Jordan Casey 85), Gary Sayer, Danny Walder, Connor Sanders, George Benner, Harry Brown, Ben Brown, Stuart King, Jamie O’Connell (James Turner 58), Dean Grant (Joe Nelder 58).

Subs not used: Nathan Eastwood, Kane Phillip

Referee: James Whittaker Assistant Referees: Jacob Miles, Tim Burman