RESULT | WHITEHAWK 2 FOLKESTONE INVICTA 2
Report by Sean Farley.
With safety from relegation already secured, this game was less about survival and more about response. After a string of disappointing results, it was clear the Hawks needed to find something. Maybe some energy, resilience, or belief—to carry them through the final 3 games of the season.
So, who better to welcome then. This is a Folkestone Invicta side bound for the National League South next season. Highly organised and efficient, they’ve looked every bit a title-winning team – though from a Whitehawk perspective, there may have been a quiet hope Folkestone had already mentally checked out for their summer break.
A late change saw Harry Lodovica drafted into the starting eleven after an injury to Taufee Skandari in the warm up, and he nearly made an immediate impact. Just 11 minutes in, Lodovica chased down a long ball, managing to beat his defender and get one-on-one with the keeper, only to see his effort ripple the side netting.
Very soon after, Folkestone’s Joe Pigott forced a superb save from Whitehawk goalkeeper Dion-Curtis Henry, a warning sign of Folkestone’s attacking threat. That pressure told in the 28th minute when a beautifully weighted, defence-splitting pass found Mikey Berry, who calmly finished to give the champions a 1–0 lead.
In recent weeks, that kind of early setback has seen Whitehawk’s heads drop and games slip away. But this time, there was a different response. A deep corner from Andrew Briggs caused chaos in the box. As the ball curled dangerously towards goal, it seemingly looped over everyone and nestled into the back of net. A fierce debate raged on the sideline as to who scored the equaliser, but Grant Hall was quick to claim a delicate touch—just enough to guide it in, and Whitehawk went into the break at 1–1.
However, there was no doubt about who scored the second goal.
Another excellent set piece delivery from Briggs fell perfectly for Grant Hall, and he clipped the ball past the keeper to put Whitehawk 2–1 up. It was a cultured finish, and once again Hall is proving to be a menace in the box for us, this his fifth of the season. Yet on the hour mark, after a brief rain shower that sent everyone in the stands fleeing for cover, Folkestone struck again to make it 2–2. It would have been understandable to expect us to fade now.
Yet the Hawks showed grit and determination, refusing to let the game drift. Late on, Charlie Lambert drove a cross in for Harry Lodovica. He caught the cross sweetly, and his first-time strike looked destined for the net—only for Folkestone goalkeeper Ted Collins to produce a crucial save and deny Whitehawk at the death. We look forward to our penultimate game of the season away to Billericay.
Hall 40′, 52′ Berry 28′
Yusuff 61′
Attendance: 300
Hawks: Henry, Gitau, Odogwu-Atkinson, Briggs (c), Cooper (Wright 46′), Hall, Godziemski (Kotey 85′), Daly, Lambert, Harris (Hogan 75′), Lodovica
Subs not used: Skandari, Robertson
