Match Report – Folkestone Invicta 0-3 Chatham Town
Saturday 3rd October
FA Cup Second Round Qualifying
Folkestone Invicta 0-3 Chatham Town
Match Report from Folkestone Invicta
Folkestone Invicta suffered an ignominious exit from the Emirates F A Cup when they lost 3-0 at home to Chatham Town in Saturday’s Second Round Qualifying tie at the BuildKent Stadium.
Chatham Town – managed by Scott Lindsey who is assisted by Darren Smith, both former Invicta captains – have assembled a good squad this season and put in an impressive performance. The Chats have won all five opening fixtures to top the SCEFL table (two levels below Invicta) and they had also already won three F A Cup ties in 2020-21.
But this was a lack lustre Invicta performance in what turned out to be a surprisingly one-sided tie as striker Dann Bradshaw scored the first two goals and captain Jack Evans completed the scoring during stoppage time.
Team news saw Ian Draycott (hamstring) miss out for Invicta but Scott Heard (back) returned from the side that had lost 3-1at home to Cray Wanderers in midweek, with Tim Roberts back in goal in place of Henry Newcombe.
The visitors made a good start as one-time Invicta midfielder Evans got a shot in following a fourt minute Bradshaw touch but Roberts saved and Ronnie Dolan blocked from Moses Abioye.
Luke Rooney then fired against the crossbar when a seventh minute Ryan Hayes corner from the right came out to him on the edge of the box.
At the other end, Aaron Simpson shot over the bar a minute later when Jordan Wright touched on a Josh Vincent cross.
Heard played a tenth minute ball in towards striker David Smith but Jordan Robins got there first in a move started by Smith and Dolan.
Chatham had two chances in the 18th minute as a Hayes cross from the left was volleyed over by Abioye and Robins then took the ball on and got a low shot in after receiving it from Evans but Roberts made a comfortable save.
Invictra’s best moment followed in the 19th minute when Heard curled a shot in from the left hand side but visiting goalkeeper Jordan Carey touched it over the crossbar for the home side’s first corner after a quickly taken Smith free kick who had himself been fouled.
Evans drilled the ball across goal from the left hand side after receiving it from Hayes in the 28th minute but Invicta captain Calum Davies cleared.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Vincent’s attempted clearance fell to Evans who played BRADSHAW in and the striker applied a composed finish.
A Finn O’Mara slip then let Bradshaw in again four minutes later but this time Invicta player-coach Micheal Everitt was there to clear up.
George Sheminant played a cross in from the left seconds later that was just beyond his team mates in the middle but was kept in play on the right flank.
A 42nd minute Hayes cross from the left just evaded Bradshaw in the middle and was put wide by one-time Invicta player Jon Pilbeam at the far post.
Heard had a shot blocked by Sheminant after a move involving Smith and Everitt during first half stoppage time.
But there was still time for another Chatham attack before half time as Evans played the ball through to Bradshaw but O’Mara got across to intercept.
Invicta would have harboured hopes of turning things around during the second half but it was to be more of the same after the interval as O’Mara had to clear a Pilbeam ball into the box within 30 seconds of the re-start.
Smith lifted a shot over the crossbar from the right hand side early in the second half as things were still not going Invicta’s way.
Chatham were to double their lead in the 51st minute when Evans played Sheminant in down the left hand side of the penalty area and BRADSHAW was there in the middle to tap the ball into the net for a well-worked goal.
Invicta were in trouble and made a double substitution as Adem Ramadan and Clark Woodcock came on for Sam Hasler and Everitt.
The two substitutes soon combined as Woodcock found Ramadan from the right and the latter got a shot in but did not trouble goalkeeper Carey.
Robins found Pilbeam down the right who played the ball in to Abioye inside the box when Chatham were halted by an offside flag but it again highlighted the visitors’ confidence.
Dolan blocked from Evans in the 58th minute when Hayes played the ball into the box from the left hand side after Evans had found Abioye when the ball had bounced over Invicta’s Wright as the visitors remained well on top.
A 60th minute Woodcock shot flashed wide when Smith played the ball to the right hand side as the home side chased a lifeline.
Pilbeam received the ball from Evans and went past Wright on the right hand side in the 61st minute and played thebal into the box but Vincent got there ahead of Abioye.
Heard ran forward for Invicta seconds later and found Woodcock on the right hand side but the latter fired horribly over the crossbar across goal.
Chatham took off goalscorer Bradshaw but substitute Ike Orji was soon involved as he received the ball from Evans and raced past Wright but Doln cleared the subsequent ball into the box.
Orji played a dangerous 66th minute ball across goal that just eluded Pilbeam who had now taken up a more attacking role.
Dolan and Woodcock combined to find Ramadan on the left two minutes later who got a shot in but Carey was able to save.
But Chatham were still dominating as Hayes cut in from the left and shot high and wide across goal in the 70th minute in a move started by Pilbeam and Robins.
Rooney found Orji on the right hand side two minutes later when the substitute’s ball across goal was touched away by goalkeeper Roberts.
Evans then fired over from the edge of the box when a 74th minute Sheminant cross from the left came back out to him.
Heard, as usual, gave his all for Invicta but when he cut in from the right only to run into tema mate Woodcock it kind of summed up Invicta’s plight.
An 85th minute Heard shot was blocked in a crowded penalty area and Carey then held when Heard cut in from the right and got a shot in after combining with Smithy during stoppage time. A frustrated Heard had appealed for a penalty for handball.
But EVANS was to put further gloss on Chatham’s deserved victory when he slotted the ball in after substitute Harvey Brown’s pass from the left came back to him.
Invicta had thus conceded three goals at home for a second time in five days and were to fail to score for the first time this season). .
There were bookings for Invicta’s Hasler (strong 21st minute challenge on Hayes by the touchline), Everitt (41st minute challenge on Abioye on hte halfway line), Simpson (hacking down Orji when Rooney played him in down the right hand side in the 87th minute) and Heard (dissent before kick off after the final goal) and for Chatham’s Sheminant (24th minute foul on Smith) and Evans (dissent in the 85th minute).
This was Invicta’s first home F A Cup tie since a 2-1 Third Qualifying Round win against Aylesbury United in September 2017.
It was the first time Invicta had gone out of the F A Cup to lower league opposition since their 3-1 Third Qualifying Round defeat at North Leigh in October 2016 and the Folkestone club’s first home F A Cup defeat since a 2-1 replay loss at home to Tonbridge Angels in September 2015.
It was a first home F A Cup defeat against lower league opposition for Neil Cufgley’s side since Ramsgate won 3-1 at Cheriton Road in 1999-2000.
FOLKESTONE INVICTA:, Roberts, Vincent, Wright (Sterling 74 mins), O’Mara, Davies, Everitt (Woodcock 54 mins), Heard, Dolan, Simpson, Smith, Hasler (Ramadan 54 mins). Unused sub: Newcombe.
CHATHAM TOWN: Carey, Pilbeam, Sheminant, Robins, Butler, Lawal, Hayes (Brown 72 mins), Evans, Bradshaw (Orji 62 mins), Rooney, Abioye (Dalton 65 mins). Unused subs: Ajayi, Healey, Palmby, Lee.
Attendance: 594
Main Photo: @JJH8314