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Kessell sees red in opening day defeat


Folkestone Invicta had goalkeeper Tony Kessell sent off as they went down to a late penalty in their opening game in the Ryman Premier League at Salisbury on a sunny afternoon on Saturday.

Kessell was dismissed for bringing down Matt Tubbs as the striker went round him after Scott Bartlett’s ball down the right bypassed substitute Steve Strong to leave Tubbs clean through after 81 minutes.

Substitute goalkeeper Dan Morrin’s first touch was to pick the ball out of the back of the net as Adam WALLACE duly converted the subsequent penalty.

Invicta had looked good value for a favourable result at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium until they were denied in the closing minutes.

The Folkestone side had shaded the first half when James Dryden and Mark Munday both had chances to put the visitors ahead when Drew Watkins whipped in dangerous free kicks after both 16 and 18 minutes.

In the absence of suspended captain Scott Lindsey, Watkins had played alongside Adam Flanagan and John Guest at the heart of the Invicta defence, with Simon Glover making his competitive debut for the club and John Walker also in the starting line up.

Striker Dryden volleyed wide from close range when Watkins sent in a good delivery following a foul by Bartlett after 16 minutes.

And stand-in captain Munday’s glancing header then went wide of the post when Watkins repeated the trick two minutes later following another foul by Salisbury captain Bartlett, this time on Walker.

Salisbury responded and Wallace shot high and just wide from the edge of the box following an exciting run in the 21^st minute and Tubbs forced a corner from Kessell when he let fly from 25 yards a minute later.

At the other end, Dryden couldn’t direct the ball into the net after 43 minutes when Guest played the ball back across goal when Paul Lamb’s corner from the right fell to him at the far post.

A good strike from Salisbury’s Matt Davies was comfortably saved by Kessell after 53 minutes and the Invicta goalkeeper was called into action again after 70 minutes to deny Tubbs when Josh Thomas’ ball forward put the young striker in behind Watkins.

A Craig Davis shot then flew just past the Invicta post when he let fly from 25 yards in the 72^nd minute.

For Invicta, a dangerous Glover cross from the right flew just in front of the acrobatic Dryden in the middle after 74 minutes.

But Wallace’s late penalty was to give Salisbury a winning start under new team manager Mark Kelly.

The game opened up as Invicta chased an equaliser and a Strong shot flashed across the visitors’ goal from the right hand side after 85 minutes.

Centre half Flanagan headed over a Watkins free kick at the far post for Invicta after 87 minutes, but Guest had to make a saving tackle to deny Wallace as the Invicta defence became stretched a minute later and Tubbs played an inviting low ball across to his striking partner.

As well as Kessell’s dismissal, there were bookings for Salisbury’s Davies and for Invicta’s Watkins, Guest and Everitt.

SALISBURY CITY: Sawyer, Bartlett, Lisk, Cook, Thomas (Holmes 84 mins), Davies (Strong 68 mins), Howes, Davis, Wallace (Phillips 90 mins), Tubbs, Bond. Unused subs: Cooper, Hedges.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Watkins, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Everitt, Chandler (Ayling 84 mins), Munday, Dryden, Walker (Morrin 82 mins), Glover (Wood 84 mins). Unused subs: Rook, Dyson.  

Attendance: 530.

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