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Munday earns Invicta precious point

A 75^th minute equaliser from Mark Munday gave Folkestone Invicta a precious point as they came back from Windsor with a creditable 1-1 draw away to in-form Slough on Wednesday night.

MUNDAY had been pushed forward to add height and physical presence to the Invicta front line after spirits had been dampened by two consecutive defeats during which the Folkestone side had failed to score.

33-year-old Munday had played in attack during his Kent League days with Herne Bay and scored 11 goals from midfield for Invicta last season.

The former Margate stalwart made it 1-1 when he found the net following a goal mouth melee after a Drew Watkins corner from the left was met by an Adam Flanagan header and a subsequent Invicta shot was cleared off the line.

The vital corner had come about when Slough defender Josias Carbon headed his clearance against his own crossbar.

The goal was the culmination of a spirited Invicta fightback after Slough had created the vast majority of the chances and took the lead after 62 minutes through striker Matt Seedel.

Invicta welcomed Flanagan back into the heart of their defence and made a bright enough early start.

But the ‘home’ side soon began to create chances as Ryan Spencer’s shot from the edge of the area was charged down after 12 minutes when Alex Haddow’s cross from the left to Glen Harris gave Seedel a chance from close range but Invicta managed to get bodies in the way.

Another low cross from Haddow on the quarter of an hour mark gave Slough another good chance from close range but goalkeeper Tony Kessell did very well to claw Seedel’s shot away at the near post.

Carbon cut in from the right and curled a shot just over the Invicta crossbar after 18minutes and a Harris shot was charged down by Flanagan.

Seedel’s shot then flew just in front of Carbon and narrowly past the Invicta post when the tricky Harris got through the middle in the 21^st minute and Haddow broke down the left and fired into the side netting four minutes later.

Haddow shot agonisingly wide of the far post when played in down the left hand side of the box and Spencer shot wide in the middle with another good chance for Slough a minute later.

Invicta were under the cosh but went close themselves after 35 minutes when Simon Glover forced a corner from goalkeeper Jake Whincup when James Dryden nodded on a powerful headed clearance from Flanagan.

Recent games have seen Invicta rue missed chances, but this time it was their opponents who went in at half time wondering just quite how they had not scored.

Munday headed over for Invicta after 50 minutes when Andrew Burke played the ball in from the left.

But Slough were close again after 53 minutes when Carbon’s glancing header flew just wide of the far post from Harris’ right wing cross.

Seedel’s header after 61 minutes forced a great save from Kessell and Haddow hit the rebound against the side of the far post.

And Slough’s pressure finally told when SEEDEL opened the scoring after 62 minutes when the ball was played back to him in the box.

The goal only served to spark life into Invicta and Glover headed just wide when Burke played another dangerous ball in from the left after 65 minutes.

A fierce 25-yard strike from Dryden struck the Slough post and went wide when the striker collected the ball from Glover.

And Michael Murphy took the ball right off Dryden’s head when Burke supplied another telling cross from the left a minute later.

Invicta looked the more likely winners after Munday’s equaliser and Dryden fired a low shot just wide from the edge of the box after 77 minutes as Invicta were now in the ascendancy.

But there was a last-gasp scare when Slough substitute Matt Murphy headed wide with the last touch of the game following a move down the right hand side started by Carbon.

SLOUGH TOWN: Whincup, Carbon, Michael Murphy, Daly, Saulsbury, Haddow, Wilkinson, Harris (Hakki 68 mins), Spencer (Miller 84 mins), Seedel (Matt Murphy 68 mins), Metcalfe.  Unused sub: Moller, Parkin.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Watkins, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, Everitt, Munday, Dryden, Everitt, Glover.  Unused subs: Chandler, Coleman, Walker, Morrin.

Attendance: 233.