harrowcup1021004

Lamb's Folkestone's saviour again

Left back Paul Lamb was Folkestone Invicta’s saviour for the second successive Saturday as his 71^st minute equaliser kept Neil Cugley’s side in the F. A. Cup after they had trailed 2-0 at half time in their 2^nd Qualifying Round tie at a wet Earlsmead.

Striker James Dryden had thrown Invicta a lifeline when he pulled a goal back after 63 minutes as the visitors turned the game around after the interval.

The first half had been a thoroughly miserable affair for Invicta as they trailed to goals from Steve Dogbe and Fabio Valenti and seemed to be on their way to a second disappointing defeat of the season at Harrow.

The players were greeted with a pre-match downpour and Invicta had a difficult start as midfielder Martin Chandler limped off with a knee injury after just ten minutes.

The visitors were at sixes and sevens as Abduai Yoki raced down the left wing after 13 minutes but Valenti’s shot was deflected off centre half Adam Flanagan for a corner when the home side seemed set to open the scoring.

At the other end, Invicta’s best moment of the first half came after 16 minutes when substitute John Walker let fly from the edge of the box and home goalkeeper Keita Karamoko touched the ball over the crossbar for Invicta’s first corner of the game.

Harrow struck first after 19 minutes and it was a special goal as midfielder DOGBE hit a sweetly-struck screamer from 25 yards which flew into the left hand corner of the net after a corner had from the left had come back out to him.

Yoki then raced down the left again and hit a low shot just wide of the Invicta post two minutes later.

As the rain continued to pour down, Harrow were in the ascendancy and Invicta centre half John Guest had to clear Daniel Dyer’s dangerous ball in from the right in a move started by Valenti after 31 minutes.

Things got worse for Invicta as they went 2-0 down after 34 minutes when Harrow captain Dean Marney’s ball out of defence sailed over Guest to leave the sharp VALENTI clear to run on and slot the ball past Maurice Munden.

But Invicta were to dig deep and show their character during the final half hour.

The third goal in the game was always going to be crucial and Invicta gave themselves hope when DRYDEN struck from close range after Guest had headed on a Lamb corner from the right after 63 minutes.

All the action was now at the Harrow end and Karamoko touched the ball over for a corner when Lamb let fly from 25 yards after 65 minutes.

That one turned out just to be LAMB testing his range as he came up trumps after 70 minutes when Dryden played the ball out to him on the left hand side of the box and the full back hit a well struck shot across goal into the far corner of the net to spark more joyous celebrations.

Even the sun started to make an appearance.

There were bookings for Invicta’s Micheal Everitt (challenge on Dogbe after 54 minutes) and captain Scott Lindsey (challenge on Wayne Walters after 76 minutes).

Drew Watkins made his 50^th starting appearance for Invicta but will miss the replay as he is working overseas.

HARROW BOROUGH: Karamoko, Nielsen, Lopez, Walters, Norman, Marney, Dyer (Newton 64 mins), Dogbe, Haule, Valenti, Yoki.  Unused subs: Lamb, Hamer, Campbell, Sterry.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Munden, Watkins, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, Chandler (Walker 10 mins), Munday, Dryden, Everitt, Glover.  Unused subs: Coleman, Spearpoint, Dyson, Morrin.

 Attendance: 204.