Runaway league leaders, Folkestone Invicta destroyed promotion rivals Herne Bay with three goals in the space of nine second half minutes answering their manager’s call for a response following the festive defeat at neighbours Hythe Town.

“The second half was a great response, the first half was still a bit of a hangover but the second half we were outstanding”, said long serving Invicta manager Neil Cugley, “I’m delighted we got the goals but to be fair Tim Roberts has pulled off a few good saves, he’s kept us in it”.

Folkestone had the better of an even first period, getting the opening goal in the 14^th minute when Ian Draycott slotted home at the far post from a corner won thanks to Frankie Chappell forcing Jack Delo to tip his header over the bar. Both sides were hampered by an increasingly slippery pitch as the rain came down with increasing intensity, players striding and kicking through standing water.

After the break, the weather intensified still further and so did the home side’s determination to put the game to bed. Ronnie Dolan produced a swerving shot to beat Delo in the 47^th and Scott Heard, so often a thorn in Herne Bay’s side when he played for Whitstable Town slooted home Invicta’s third six minutes later.

Top scorer Ian Draycott, having opened the scoring, completed the rout with his second of the match with fully 34 minutes left to see out. Invicta did so with the help of two Tim Roberts’ superb saves, first denying Joe Nelder after 73 minutes in a one on one and then two minutes later thwarting Bay’s best striker on the day, Elliott Cutts, diving low to his right to push the shot away.

“It’s a different sort of pressure on the players now”, said Cugley, “they’ve got to keep doing it week in, week out. In the past we’ve come from lower down the table and got in the play offs. This is the first time we’ve actually been top for so long, it’s in our hands and it’s important that we don’t let it slip”.

Herne Bay manager Sam Denly was philosophical about defeat at the hands of the league leaders, “This matters, we were excellent first half, again, the spell in the second half absolutely killed us.”

“We still created chances and it probably wasn’t a four nil game but they had that bit of quality, got their chance and gone bang, bang, bang and the game’s over. It’s not panic stations, we’re still sitting well in the league. They (Invicta) are going to win the league this season so, for us, it’s about beating the teams around us”.

 

Folkestone Invicta: Tim Roberts, Josh Vincent, Nat Blanks, Liam Friend (Jordan Wright 81), Frankie Chappell, Matt Newman, Ronnie Dolan, Scott Heard (Patrick Nzuzi 67), Ian Draycott, Carl Rook (Harry Smith 74), Ashley Miller.

Subs not used: Jon Pilbeam, Jon Sparks.

Sent off: none                   Cautions: Scott Heard

 

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Nathan Eastwood, Gary Sayer, Dan Johnson, Liam Quinn, Connor Sanders, Harry Brown (Sam Hasler 58), Joe Nelder (James Turner 74), Danny Williams, Elliott Cutts, Lee Browning (Kane Phillip 67).

Subs not used: Dan Parkinson, Michael Turner.

Sent off: none                   Cautions: none.

 

Referee: Ryan Whitaker               Assistants: Kane Dempster & Michael Marsh

Man of the Match: Ian Draycott (Folkestone Invicta)

 

Folkestone Invicta (1) 4

Ian Draycott 14, 56

Ronnie Dolan 47

Scott Heard 53

 

Herne Bay (0) 0

 

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)

Saturday 2^nd January 2016

at The Fullicks Stadium, Cheriton Road

 

Attendance: 478

 

(photo credit: Peter Guise –  Ian Draycott slots home the opener)