Football can be a cruel game sometimes and today it came back to bite us on the bottom.
Having been 3-0 up after just eighteen minutes, our opponents, to their credit, fought back to gain a draw with virtually the last kick of the game to earn a replay at the BuildKent Stadium on Tuesday, kick-off 7:45pm.
Invicta made one change to last week’s starting line-up, with the fit again Josh Vincent coming in for the unavailable Ian Draycott, whilst Eastleigh made five changes from their last one.
We came flying out the traps and took the lead after just three minutes when Vincent sent in a low cross which went across goal and was turned in by Alfie Paxman at the back post. Incredibly we then doubled our lead in the sixth minute when Christian Maghoma tripped Ade Yussuf as he closed in on goal and from the resultant penalty, Paxman sent Eastleigh goalkeeper, Joe McDonnell, the wrong way for his and Invicta’s second goal.
‘The Spitfires’ then got a bit more into the game with their main protagonists being Sam Smart and Ryan Hill, both of whom looked dangerous on the ball, but they were kept at a distance at this stage and any crosses that came in were well dealt with by Alexis Andre in the Invicta goal. Despite our opponents exerting a bit more pressure, we then added a third goal in the eighteenth minute when Eastleigh failed to clear a corner and Scott Heard’s low shot from just inside the area nestled in the corner of the net.
As well as getting on the scoresheet, Paxman was also covering back well to keep Smart at arms’ length, but a couple of times he seemed to be treated quite harshly having been adjudged to have fouled his opposite number wide on the right, although again our opponents sent in crosses that were well dealt with by Andre as he plucked them out the air. Whilst at the other end , he played a good ball through to David Smith who was adjudged offside as he burst through and may have been a little fortunate not to have been booked as he appeared to kick the ball away.
Vincent Harper made a good run down the left and along the by-line before cutting it back for Hill, but Andre made an excellent save, tipping his shot round the post for a corner. Matt Newman then picked up the game’s first booking for a foul and then Hill levelled up the booking count for a foul on Yusuff as he burst through having collected Andre’s throw after he had caught a long shot from Hill. That was the end of the action for the first half and Invicta went in 3-0 up, surely a score not even the most optimistic supporter would have expected!
As expected, Eastleigh came out in a much more determined mood after the break and immediately put us under pressure with Andre making a good save from Eastleigh skipper Danny Hollands, although at the other end, Paxman got into a decent shooting position but dragged his effort wide. Andre was soon back in action and having collected a dangerous cross from Hollands, he then made a good save from Tyrone Barnett. However, the pressure was starting to show, and in the fifty-seventh minute, Harper, who was looking increasingly dangerous marauding down the right wing, was bought down in the box by Invicta skipper Callum Davies and from the penalty, Hill sent Andre the wrong way to pull one back for the home side.
Hill then hit a vicious swerving shot from the edge of the area, which was well punched away by Andre, but it was just a brief respite, as in the sixty-second minute, Barnett rose to nod home Smart’s cross from close range. Harper then made another good run and fed Barnett, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post, Invicta were really in a game now. Harper was then fouled on the edge of the area, he took the kick himself short to Hill, but his shot went wide of the far post. Jake Hesketh was then booked for simulation in the penalty area as time (very!) slowly ticked away.
On seventy minutes both sides made substitutions, with Kieron McCann making a welcome return to action as he replaced Smith, who had again worked tirelessly up front for the cause, whilst leading scorer Ben House and Tom Whelan came on for Ryan Hill and Danny Hollands respectively. As we entered the last fifteen minutes, ‘The Spitfires’, as expected continued to push with the main threat still coming from Smart on the right-hand side, although Harper was also providing a lot of attacking options on the opposite side of the pitch and from one of his crosses, Barnett saw his header deflected away from off the line.
In a last throw of the dice, Eastleigh took off centre half, Tom Broadbent, and replaced him with forward Danny Whitehall. But it was Invicta who had the next chance as Yusuff made a good run, but his shot bounced off the outside of the post to safety from a narrow angle, although it was unlucky, he may have been better to cut the ball back to the supporting Ryan Johnson. Harper then blotted his copybook by picking up a booking for dissent following a foul on Jordan Wright.
Eastleigh then went close again as from a free kick on the edge of the area, Hesketh sent in a dangerous low ball and somehow it eluded everyone including Barnett who slid in at the far post. We then had one final chance as Yusuff’s header set Heard clear, but he dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post. Just as it looked like we had managed to hold on, in the fourth and final minute of time added on the ball was played into the area and only half cleared to the edge of the area from where defender and Gillingham loanee Christian Maghoma blasted the ball home to break the hearts of the Invicta contingent within the ground. We just had time to kick-off and that was it.
There is no doubt the F.A. Cup is still the best competition in world football, and this was a fantastic game, with both sides giving their all, there was a lot of tired legs on both sides at the end of the game and I’m sure the supporters of both sides will remember this game for many seasons, although I’m not sure the respective Managers would have enjoyed it so much! We go again on Tuesday at the BuildKent Stadium, please come along and support the team, it has the makings of another great game against a very good Eastleigh side.
So, Invicta are in the bag for the First Round Proper draw, for only the third time in our history and that will be made on ITV at 1:05pm on Sunday. Us and Eastleigh are ball no. 76.
I spoke to a slightly drained Neil after the game and he said: “I’m so proud of the players today, they all gave absolutely everything and to be honest I thought we’d done it and we couldn’t have got much closer, but credit to Eastleigh who were excellent in the second half, showing some great qualities going forward, putting us under intense pressure. “I’m sure some of you will think it was the Potters Bar game all over again, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, in that game we conceded the goals due to individual errors whereas this time our opponents created the chances with some good build-up play. “To try and counteract our opponents we slightly changed our system when we bought on Macca [Kieron McCann] for Smithy [David Smith] and it almost worked when Heardy [Scott Heard] found himself clear, but he unfortunately shot wide.”
Looking ahead to Tuesday he added: “I’m looking forward to Tuesday as although we know we are in for a difficult game, it will be a good occasion back at our ground and hopefully you’ll come out in your numbers to support us, and of course by then the winners will know their opponents in the First Round, I’m not sure if that is a good thing or bad!”
Finally, many thanks to Eastleigh for their hospitality and we wish them well for the rest of the season (after Tuesday of course!!).
Goalscorers: Ryan Hill (pen 57 mins), Tyrone Barnett (62 mins) & Christian Maghoma (90 mins).
Folkestone Invicta: Alexis Andre, Josh Vincent, Jordan Wright, Matt Newman, Callum Davies (Capt), Ryan Johnson, Scott Heard, Ronnie Dolan, David Smith (Kieron McCann, 70 mins), Ade Yusuff & Alfie Paxman, (Unused substitutes: Ollie Freeman, Tyler Sterling, Finn O’Mara, Micheal Everitt and Connor Collins).
Goalscorers: Alfie Paxman, (3 & pen 7 mins) and Scott Heard (18 mins).
Referee: Wayne Cartmel
Assistant Referees: Matt Eva & Ollie Davies
Fourth Official: Harry Redman.Attendance: 1,009