Folkestone Invicta 5 Wealdstone 2

Folkestone Invicta signed off in style as they put five goals past Wealdstone at the Buzzlines Stadium for the second time this season in their last home match of the campaign on a sunny Saturday afternoon, writes Richard Murrill.

 

Invicta had won 5-3 when the two clubs met in the F.A. Trophy back in November and this encounter was another high-scoring affair as the Folkestone side raced into a 4-0 half time lead.
 
Wealdstone pulled two goals back in the first five minutes of the second half and at one stage threatened a sensational comeback before Invicta completed the scoring.
 
Youngster Rob Knott had an afternoon to remember as he scored his first two senior goals for the club and set up the other two of Invicta’s four first half goals.
 
Invicta opened the scoring as early as the third minute when Knott did well down the left hand side of the box and played the ball across for Matt Carruthers to put the ball into the net.
 
But Wealdstone striker Francino Francis had a couple of chances to equalise within the opening ten minutes as first goalkeeper Tony Kessell saved with his feet and then smothered a second shot with defender Kevin Watson there to clear.
 
Graeme Montgomery called Kessell into action again from the edge of the penalty area after 23 minutes, but the home side were to score three goals in a 12-minute spell to put the game beyond Wealdstone’s reach.
 
Knott, top goalscorer with Invicta’s championship-winning reserve team, opened his senior account for the club after 26 minutes when he finished confidently following a great through ball from Micheal Everitt.
 
With his confidence up, Knott tried his luck from outside the penalty area two minutes later but was this time wide of the target.
 
Knott was involved again for Invicta’s third goal after 34 minutes when he played the ball across from the left for James Everitt to hit his own first senior goal for the club.
 
It was 4-0 after 37 minutes when Stuart Myall played the ball inform the right hand side after a flowing passing move and Knott rose to head the ball in for his second goal of the game.
 
Montgomery shot over from the edge of the penalty area right at the end of a first half, which had gone horribly wrong for the visitors.
 
But Wealdstone showed character to get themselves back into the game at the start of the second half.
 
Teenager Josh Cooper pulled a goal back in the 47^th minute when he rifled the ball in from the right hand side of the box.
 
And striker Ben Alexander made it 4-2 in the 51^st minute when he slotted the ball into the net after another driving run form Cooper.
 
Wealdstone soon won another corner and another Montgomery shot flashed just wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area after 57 minutes as Invicta’s seemingly unassailable lead was now under threat.
But Invicta rallied during the closing stages as a Carruthers shot flashed across goal from the right hand side after 72 minutes.
 
And it was 5-2 in the 73^rd minute when Carruthers sent over a free kick from the left and substitute Martin Chandler scored his first goal of the season with a glancing header.
 
FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Watson, J. Everitt, Flanagan, Shearer (Matata 63), Saunders, M. Everitt, Myall (Neilson 87), Knott (Chandler 72), Carruthers, Lamb.  Subs: Fraser, Mann.
 
WEALDSTONE: Carroll, Homand (Harrington 45), Chappell, Hall, Palmer, Holland, Gibbs (Christian 45), Cooper, Francis, Alexander (Turner 79), Montgomery.  Subs: Hickie, Jackson.
 
Attendance: 384.