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Munday second half strike gives Invicta derby win
Folkestone Invicta 1-0 Sittingbourne
Tuesday 23 September 2003
Dr Martens League Eastern Division
by Richard Murrill

A 52nd minute goal from Mark Munday proved decisive in Tuesday night's Kent derby at the Westbourne Stadium.

Former Margate man Munday got the all-important goal when he brought the ball down following a corner on the right and opened his account for Invicta by slotting the ball into the net.

The home side had created chances from the start as James Millar was denied by the feet of goalkeeper Kevin Fewell to force the game's first corner after just a minute.

Anthony Hogg was the next to go close on his return to Cheriton Road when his header was touched over for a corner by Fewell after three minutes and Michael Everitt was close when James Dryden got down the right flank after five minutes.

An early Invicta goal might have put a different complexion on the match and Allan Tait fired just wide with a low shot from the edge of the area when he turned a beat two defenders after ten minutes.

But Sittingbourne had survived the early onslaught and Tom Berry didn't make the most of his chance when the ball was played to him in the middle after 13 minutes.

Berry's cross from the left two minutes later was touched away by goalkeeper Tony Kessell and played out for a corner by an Invicta defender.

Hogg then went the closest yet for Invicta when his shot from outside the penalty area came back off the post after 23 minutes as a breakthrough remained elusive to Neil Cugley's side.

Sittingbourne's Jamie Coyle was booked for a foul on Adam Flanagan on the left hand side after 31 minutes and from the subsequent free kick, Flanagan's diving header was saved by Fewell and Berry cleared off the line for a corner.

A Tait shot across goal was smothered but not held by Fewell after 48 minutes when Dryden played the ball to his striking partner down the right hand channel and Tait broke down the right again after 50 minutes before his ball in was cleared for a corner.

Munday's goal a minute later finally gave Invicta the advantage.
 
Sittingbourne stuck to their task and Kessell got down to save Kieran Marsh's low shot from the edge of the area after 54 minutes.

John Ayling replaced Martin Chandler after 62 minutes and some trickery from the Invicta substitute down the left three minutes later set up a half chance for Tait at the far post.

A Darren Smith shot from outside the penalty area forced a Sittingbourne corner after 67 minutes.

But Tait got in down the right hand side again after 80 minutes, but goalkeeper Fewell saved for a corner and Millar was denied by a good Fewell save after 81 minutes when Ayling played him in on the right.

A minute later a Hogg header was cleared off the line from a Millar corner on the right as Invicta went close again.

As well as Coyle, there were bookings for Invicta's John Guest (foul after 76 minutes) and Hogg (kicking the ball away after 90 minutes) and for Sittingbourne substitute Matt Nicholl (foul after 77 minutes).

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Everitt, Lindsey, Flanagan, Guest, Hogg, Chandler (Ayling 62 mins), Munday, Dryden, Tait, Millar. Unused subs: Blackman, Winfield, Watkins, Holdway.

SITTINGBOURNE: Fewell, Coyle (Nicholl 70 mins), Dowley (P. Davies 74 mins), S. Davies, Campbell, Taylor, Berry, Marsh (Gooding 89 mins), Neal, Smith, Spice. Unused sub: Beeney.

Attendance: 308.