Hastings United 6-1 Folkestone Invicta - Invicta capitulate late on at relegation rivals

The win saw Hastings leapfrog above Invicta on goal difference, with both clubs just one point above the Ryman Premier League relegation zone as Boreham Wood’s day of inactivity saw them drop into the bottom four for the first time this season.

This was Invicta’s heaviest defeat since they switched to the Ryman League in 2004 and their biggest loss since going down by the same scoreline in a Kent Senior Cup tie at home to Welling United in February 2003.

Invicta had won all their previous seven league encounters against Hastings dating back to their Southern League days in 1999.

But they were to leave this encounter shell-shocked as 19-year-old Hastings substitute Frankie Sawyer helped himself to an eight-minute hat-trick in the closing stages.

Having won 1-0 at home to Harlow Town, Invicta had hoped to move a step closer to safety on the last day of the Bank Holiday weekend and kept an unchanged line up.

And the visitors dominated the opening 20 minutes, but perhaps crucially did not score whilst enjoying their best spell of the game.

The home side had the first chance of the game when leading goalscorer Ade Olorunda was put through in the fourth minute but hit a low shot wide of the post.

At the other end, Invicta won the game’s first corner in the eighth minute when Hastings goalkeeper Lee Worgan touched over Tom Webb’s hooked shot when Kevin Watson headed on a James Everitt throw in form the right.

A powerful Webb shot flew wide in the 17^th minute after a purposeful run when Watson spread a free kick out to him on the left and within seconds a Lloyd Blackman shot was deflected off defender Nathan Russell for a corner following a James Everitt ball.

But it was the home side who opened the scoring in the 23^rd minute when Sam Adams combined with Ade Olorunda down the right hand side and capitalised on Samuel Kola Okikiolu’s failure to clear by hit a low shot across goal into the far corner of the net.

The goal handed Hastings the initiative and Russell Eldridge combined with Adams down the left after 26 minutes and the former’s cross flew just in front of Ade Olorunda in the middle.

As the sleet came down, Invicta captain Roland Edge got in a vital 44^th minute touch at the expense of a corner when Steve Elliott and Ade Olorunda carved out a chance for Eldridge inside the penalty area.

A 48^th minute shot from Tim Olorande flew just wide of the far post and Okikiolu made a saving 63^rd minute challenge on Ade Olorunda in the middle when Adams was given on-side down the right hand side.

Micheal Everitt shot just wide of the far post after 69 minutes when a Luke Stonebridge clearance bounced over a defender and into his path.

At the other end, Stonebridge made a great save from Elliott two minutes later when Eldridge and Adams set up the chance.

Hastings’ second goal had a touch of controversy about it as Adams struck again when Elliott played the ball in from the right in a move started by Tim Olorunda. Stonebridge got a touch to the ball but could not prevent it from crossing the line, with the Invicta defence livid that Elliott had not been given offside.

When Sawyer replaced Adams, nobody could have forecast what was to follow.

Sawyer made an immediate impact as his 83^rd minute touch found Eldridge whose low shot beat Stonebridge to make it 3-0.

It was 4-0 in the 85^th minute when Russell and Ade Olorunda found Sawyer down the right hand side of the penalty area and the substitute found the net after going round Stonebridge, despite the efforts of substitute James Corbett to clear off the line.

Invicta grabbed a consolation goal in the 88^th minute when Edge found John Ovard down the left hand side and James Everitt converted the substitutes’ cross.

But Invicta’s woes were not to end there as Sawyer latched onto a 90^th minute ball from Lee Carey and found the net again after going round Stonebridge.

The goals were flowing thick and fast and Sawyer completed his hat-trick during stoppage time when he headed in an Elliott cross from the right.

It was an afternoon to remember for teenager Sawyer.

Quite what effect this has on Invicta’s future remains to be seen.

Next up is AFC Hornchurch who scored nine times without reply against basement club Leyton in an early kick-off today.

Hastings United: Worgan, Elford, Simpson, Whyborne, Russell, Carey, Elliott, T. Olorunda (Gonnella 85), A. Olorunda, Adams (Sawyer 81), Eldridge.
Subs: Spice, Dolby, Maclean.

Folkestone Invicta: Stonebridge, Watson, Edge, Friend, M. Everitt, Okikiolu, Glyde (Ovard 73), Webb, J. Everitt, Blackman, Bremner (Corbett 63).
Subs: Chappell, Dickson, Barton.

Attendance: 587.