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Waters re-writes Folkestone's record books

Records smashed as Folkestone end season on a high

Folkestone Invicta 3-0 Newport IOW
Saturday 1 May 2004
Dr Martens League Eastern Division
Richard Murrill reports from Westbourne Stadium

Folkestone Invicta completed another long, hard season with victory as two goals from James Dryden and one from 16-year-old substitute Oliver Waters gave them a final day win over Newport (Isle of Wight) at a sunny Westbourne Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Playing their 61^st match of the season, Invicta ended a run of nine matches without a win as they repeated the 3-0 win achieved on the Isle of Wight back in March.

Dryden had ended a barren spell of 15 games without a goal on that occasion and led the way again with two more goals before collecting the Supporters’ Player of the Year award after the game.

And Waters was to re-write the club’s record books as he became the youngest player to score a Dr Martens League goal for Invicta on his first league outing.

John Ayling remains the youngest player to score a senior goal for Invicta as his April 1998 goal in the Kent League against Greenwich Borough came at the age of 16 years and 40 days, five days ahead of Waters’ landmark goal.

And Ayling came into the starting line up on Saturday at the last minute as a result of a warm up injury to centre half John Guest. Ayling has signed a new contract for Invicta but his hoping to embark on a two-year scholarship in the USA and his many fans will be hoping that this was not the last sight of him in Invicta colours.

Though still clearly not fully fit after his ankle ligament injury on the Isle of Wight back in March, Ayling still showed glimpses of his unique talent.

It was Ayling who created the game’s first real chance when striker Lee Blackman shot wide on the quarter of an hour mark and Ayling himself shot tamely at stand-in goalkeeper Justin Hughes in the 22^nd minute after showing great footwork when receiving the ball from Dryden.

Hughes normally plays on the pitch for Newport but had come in for injured goalkeeper Joe McCormack.

Newport had a good chance after 23 minutes when Chris Bridges was given on-side through the middle, but goalkeeper Tony Kessell saved and the ball looped over the Invicta crossbar for a corner.

Blackman shot just wide from inside the box after 27 minutes, but Invicta were ahead after 34 minutes when DRYDEN slotted the ball into the corner of the net when Ayling played him in.

Dryden came desperately close to scoring again after 36 minutes when he latched onto a through ball but saw his shot come back off the underside of the crossbar.

Invicta were close again after 39 minutes when Hughes clawed an Adam Flanagan header away when Paul Lamb played the ball in from the right after Ayling had played the ball out wide.

Newport threatened again after 42 minutes when Jamie White’s 35-yard strike hit the Invicta crossbar.

At the other end, Flanagan shot just wide when Anthony Hogg played the ball in from the left after 44 minutes.

Micheal Everitt made a good saving tackle to deny White after 47 minutes and Danny Hatcher shot into the side netting when a ball over the defence had Invicta in trouble after 59 minutes.

But Invicta regained the initiative and Blackman headed at Hughes from substitute Darren Winfield’s left wing cross after 68 minutes.

Blackman’s involvement was ended after 72 minutes when a bodycheck from Newport substitute Simon Pilcher left him groggy with pain in his throat and collarbone and resulted in the game’s only booking.

The home side finished with a flourish as DRYDEN headed in a Lamb cross from the left to make it 2-0 after 84 minutes when the striker had himself initially played the ball out wide to the full back.

And WATERS opened his account for the club when he held his nerve to score after Dryden had nodded the ball through to send him away down the middle in the 89^th minute in a move started by Everitt.

Everitt had himself been the previous youngest player to score a Dr Martens League goal for Invicta when he scored on his league debut as a substitute against Bashley in August 1999 at the age of 16 years and 10 months.

Goalkeeper Kessell kept his 20^th clean sheet of a season during which he played in all of Invicta’s 61 matches, the first Invicta player to complete a season as an ever present since big Carlton Wynter in the 1997-98 season.

Invicta’s assistant manager Lee Dyson got his second outing of the season, both against Newport, as a late substitute for Blackman.

And 19-year-old John Walker, who had made his debut on the Isle of Wight back in March, again caught the eye in only his fourth starting appearance.