Horsham YMCA 4-3 Folkestone Invicta (A.E.T)

Folkestone Invicta went out of the Isthmian (Ryman) League Cup when they were beaten 4-3 after extra time to Horsham YMCA in Tuesday night’s delayed Second Round tie in their third visit to Gorings Mead in three months.

Joe Keehan scored the winning goal during the first period of extra time after a stoppage time equaliser from Ellis Remy had forced an extra half hour.

Richard Greenfield had opened the scoring for the home side before Micheal Everitt levelled before half time and the visitors went ahead after the interval through an own goal.

But two goals from striker Greg Palmer restored YMCA’s advantage until Remy’s last-ditch equaliser temporarily saved the day for Invicta.

It was a disappointing exit for the Folkestone side and a morale-boosting win for the home side who had not won since September 1st when they set up their F. A. Cup tie against Invicta, a winless run of 12 matches which has seen them drop to the bottom of the Ryman League Division One South.

GREENFIELD struck the first blow in the 11th minute when he rifled the ball into the net from the right hand side of the penalty area after a ball from Matt Russell.

But Micheal EVERITT equalised in the 41st minute with his first goal of the season when he forced the ball over the line from close range after goalkeeper Ken Westoby had saved from Remy when Liam Friend played a deep ball in from the left.

And Invicta were ahead in the 54th minute when Ryan Briggs played a free kick in to Kevin Watson who headed the ball into a crowded goal mouth and it deflected in off a home defender.

PALMER equalised from close range at the far post ten minutes later when debutant goalkeeper Luke Stonebridge saved from Greenfield after a ball from James Grant put him through down the right hand side of the box.

And PALMER struck again to make it 3-2 after 67 minutes with an impressive shot on the turn into the far corner of the net from the left hand side of the penalty area following a good touch from Ottley.

There was, though, a further twist after 90 minutes when Otltey sliced his attempted clearance and REMY took full advantage to fire the ball into the net when put clear down the middle.

But YMCA emerged as the winners when KEEHAN capitalised on a mistake by 18-year-old Stonebridge after 98 minutes when substitute Alex Keaney played the ball in from the left.

This time there was to be no way back for Invicta, though substitute Roland Edge headed against the crossbar when Watson played the ball in a deep 120th minute cross from the right.

Much earlier, the home side had the game’s first chance in the second minute when Russell headed just wide after an Ottley cross from the left.

Following YMCA’s opening goal, Palmer shot just over the crossbar when Ottley played the ball in from the left again, while at the other end Remy could not hit the target when a Frankie Chappell ball put him through after 23 minutes.

A Keehan shot was then blocked by an Invicta defender when another Ottley cross came back out.

James Corbett shot just over after 32 minutes when he latched onto a James Everitt through the middle and home captain Tom White blocked another Corbett shot five minutes later when Damian Abel broke down the left hand side of the penalty area and pulled the ball back.

Micheal Everitt’s first goal since a F. A. Cup tie at St Margaretsbury in September 2005 brought Invicta level and Remy then did not make the most of his chance at the far post just before half time when Abel played the ball in from the right in a move also involving James Everitt and Briggs.

But Invicta went ahead from a free kick when Ottley was adjudged to have fouled Remy.

It was end-to-end stuff around the hour mark as Parker’s shot from the left hand side flashed across the Inivcta goal and past the far post and Abel shot wide with a chance to increase Invicta’s lead when a Remy touch sent him clear down the middle.

Micheal Everitt then blocked on the line when Russell threatened to equalise from the right hand side of the penalty area.

But Parker’s two goals in a five-minute spell turned the game around again.

Invicta responded as Micheal Everitt won the ball to put Abel through after 73 minutes and he shot just over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area after running at the home defence.

Remy then blasted wide when Watson chipped the ball to him down the right hand side three minutes later.

Parker missed out on the chance of a hat-trick when he shot wider after the ball fell to him inside the penalty area in the 81st minute.

Invicta had penalty appeals waved away when Micheal Everitt went down in the 84th minute as Watson played the ball into the box and Abel fired over a minute later when Ottley blocked his initial shot following a good ball from Corbett in a move started by James Everitt.

But as Invicta chased a late equaliser, they were left desperately short of cover at the back and Palmer chipped wide across goal when Matt Simpson played him through down the left hand side after 86 minutes.

In a frantic finale, Briggs shot over from outside the penalty area when Corbett played the ball back and the Invicta defence scrambled the ball away when Keehan pulled it back as substitutes Michael Death and Matt Percival combined down the right.

Micheal Everitt hit a good extra time strike just over the crossbar prior to what turned out to be Keehan’s decisive strike.

A low 111th minute Abel ball in from the right just eluded Corbett in the middle and in a strange old tie, YMCA had to wait until the 108th minute to win their only corner of the night.

Keehan hit a 113th minute free kick just over the Invicta crossbar on what turned out to be a happy night for the struggling West Sussex side.

HORSHAM YMCA: Westoby, Carden (Keaney 45 mins), Ottley, White, Flack, Simpson, Russell (Death 82 mins), Keehan, Palmer, Grant, Greenfield (Percival 79 mins).  Unused subs: Bidwell, Kazemi.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Stonebridge, Watson, J. Everitt, Chappell, Friend, Briggs, M. Everitt, Sly (Edge 122 mins), Remy, Corbett, Abel.  Unused subs: Dix, Saunders, Mitten.