RESULT | FOLKESTONE INVICTA 1 WHITEHAWK 0
A second half Dan Smith strike from Folkestone’s leading scorer sent Hawks to their third successive defeat in an indifferent game played in a bitterly cold wind on a bouncy pitch on the Kent coast.
Hawks’ side saw three changes from the home defeat to Chatham, with Andrew Briggs returning after injury, alongside Charlie Lambert and a debut for new signing Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson in the centre of defence.
Invicta had Academy keeper Daniel Kennedy making his first league start in goal in place of Jonny Henly who was sent off last weekend at Bognor. He was barely tested in an uneventful first half, the most meaningful action coming after just five minutes when Hawks Joseph Osaghae parried away a hostile close range effort from Ade Yusuff following a Kouassi cross from the right. The Invicta winger was the only player on either side who looked like he had mastered the conditions in a very dull first half.
After a break at half time for everyone to warm up, the game meandered on in the same manner until an hour had gone, when Invicta’s captain Ian Gayle (who managed two games for the Hawks a decade ago) had a header following a corner cleared off the line. Osaghae then had to be alert as a cross from full back Gavin Hoyte nearly dropped over his head into the net.
After 68 minutes Invicta eventually broke the deadlock. A Hawks goal kick into the wind was headed back by Kouassi, for Yusuff to set Smith through on goal. A calm left foot finish under Osaghae did the rest.
Hawks almost got back on level terms ten minute later with their first sight of goal. From a right wing corner, new boy Odogwu-Atkinson outjumped Gayle and Kennedy to head towards the near post, but the bouncing ball was hacked off the line by Odeniran, with the assistant referee ruling no goal. The small band of Hawks fans freezing at that end of the ground thought otherwise.
Kennedy was finally called into serious action in the 94th minute, as Harry Bridle latched onto a through ball under pressure from Gayle. He headed the ball forward before colliding with the young Invicta keeper on the edge of the box. The rebound ran to Josh Nandhra, but his follow-up efforts were blocked by Gayle and then Hoyte, with the keeper grounded and needing treatment. That was the final action in an instantly forgettable afternoon for the Hawks.
Hawks: Osaghae, Wright, Johnson (Barlow 90’), Briggs, Okonkwo, Odogwu-Atkinson, Lambert (Clark 53’), Mensah, Kayani (Nandhra 81’), Walker (Maguire-Drew 90’), Bridle
Invicta: Kennedy, Hoyte, Morgan, Gayle, Odeniran, Kassarate, Turner, Allen (Green 92’), Smith, Yusuff, Kouassi (Fanimo 79’)
