Tuesday 22nd April 2008
FOLKESTONE 0 HORNCHURCH 0
FI – Luke Stonebridge – Kevin Watson © - Liam Dickson – Frankie Chappell – Liam Friend – Charlie Glyde – Jimmy Corbett – Michael Everitt – James Everitt – Lloyd Blackman – Leigh Bremner
Subs – Ben Sly for Bremner 65 – John Board – Josh Burchcell – Kieron Byrne for Glyde 90+4 – Seb Barton

HFC- Dale Brightly – Frankie Curley - Jim McFarlane –John Purdie © - Richard Goddard - Danny Glozier – Michael Brothers - Mark Janney – Harry Elmes - Simon Parker – Elliot Styles
Subs –Des Boateng – Shane Oakley for Glozier 65 – Michael Ramkin - Scott Curley - Ross Wall for Frankie Curley 79

Bookings – Michael Everitt 32 (F) – Frankie Curley 35 (H)
Weather – 7 degrees, overcast, wind speed 20 mph
Officials – W Atkin with G Croft and D Spain
Duration – 47.07 + 50.50
Attendance 387 – fifty from Hornchurch


FOLKESTONE 0 HORNCHURCH 0
Urchins have played on grass, dirt, sand, mud, flat surfaces, bumpy surfaces, monsoons, deserts, you name it, they have played on it. But never in their history have they ever played on anything other than land – until tonight, when they played on a lake. The match appeared unlikely, as the aqualung equipment had been left at home, but the water was swept and swept again, with many early arrivals from Hornchurch helping. But the lake turned into an ocean as the tide came in and puddles grew and grew. The floodlights are the worst in the league by a long margin, and with the tide coming in the match went ahead, as the grass finally appeared from below the puddles. Urchins had five key players missing. Right, let’s get the floodlights on and get on with the match. Slight pause – oh dear, they are already fully on, four dull glowing pylons.

Very few chances for either side, but Urchins looked the more composed. Janney took a free kick which reached Styles, and he touched back to Janney, whose cross to Parker was headed away by Dickson, as far as Goddard, who played it back again and
Friend headed away this time. Folkestone rarely threatened, although a good run by Corbett on right looked dangerous, when he played the ball back to Watson, whose long range shot was too hurried and well wide of the goal, behind which stood the local troglodytes, ten of them, their language appalling, their knowledge non-existent. Give them their money back and chuck them out, was one solution. Bit pointless really as they had climbed over the fence and got in for free – a marked contrast to the friendly and helpful home officials.

Urchins looked dangerous when Parker found Glozier on the left and from the resulting cross, Mark Janney headed wide of the far post. Another move involving Elmes, Parker and Janney ended when Michael Brothers was played clear on the left and his centre went invitingly across the goalmouth with no one able to get the final touch. Then it was Styles, receiving from Purdie, playing up to Janney, who slotted an excellent pass between the defence and on to Brothers, who ran on, despite being pulled back, and fired his shot narrowly over, although offside was inexplicably given.

Folkestone rarely threatened but almost caused a surprise when a Glyde free kick was dropped by Brightly, who appeared to have collided with Watson, and Curley eventually hooked the ball away, when surely a free kick would normally have been awarded.

At the other end, a Janney free kick was dropped by Stonebridge, the ball rolling to Parker who hit his shot over the bar, and then followed two successive corners, both taken by Mark Janney, the first being played short and the second being taken well by Stonebridge. A Curley inspired pass found Parker and Simon sent the ball across the lake to Janney, whose penetrating run ended in a corner. Danny Glozier came across to take it and Dickson headed out for another corner, which Glozier again took and Stonebridge held. Then it was Purdie to Brothers whose run saw an excellent centre which Stonebridge just did enough to divert the ball off of Harry Elmes as he ran in.

Half time and a steward sat alongside the touchline. His name was Canute and his job was to command the water to recede. A search party was sent out to try and locate the missing roof to the stand, a large proportion of which appeared to have been ripped off by a tornado.

The incredibly biased home crowd screamed loudly for a penalty soon after the interval when James Everitt went down inside the box, with many Urchins awarding him five out of five. Referee Warren Atkin consulted his linesman but did not book the player for what appeared to be the most blatant dive ever seen at Invicta. Stonebridge dropped a Glozier cross soon after and Parker’s snap shot was turned around the post for a corner, which Janney took, and which a defender put behind for another corner, which this time was played behind the goal for a goal kick. A long clearance from Brightly found Janney who sent Brothers away, but Michael lofted his shot over the bar. Invicta nearly scored in surprisingly style, when a free kick, right on the half way line, skidded off one of the many puddles and almost caught Brightly out, whilst a Janney pass to Shane Oakley saw Shane narrowly beaten to the ball by Glyde. Oakley was again put through and this time his shot went for a corner, which Janney took and McFarlane headed past the post. Curley to Parker, who skimmed the ball over the surface to Brothers whose first time drive was way out just went over the bar.

Dale Brightly saved from Leigh Bremner when Lloyd Blackman touched on Glyde’s ball, but most of the play remained at the other end Invicta won their first corner of the game in the 85th minute and Brightly saved from James Corbett and McFarlane hoisted the loose ball far and away to safety. Six minutes were added on, during which Janney’s corner was headed away, and two corners by Invicta were cleared, first by Purdie and then by McFarlane, and almost on time a Goddard pass sent Elmes away, and his run goalwards created havoc in the home defence, and the ball was played out to Ross Wall, who touched back to Styles, whose shot was saved.