HORSHAM 1 FOLKESTONE INVICTA 0

HORSHAM:
1.Alan Mansfield 2.Tom Graves 3.Nigel Brake 4.Andy Howard 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Jacob Mingle 8.Gary Charman 9.Lee Farrell 10.Carl Rook (Westcott) 11.Lee Carney Subs: 12.Eddie French 14.John Westcott 15.Stuart Myall 16.Yinka Salaam 17.Rob Frankland
Scorers: Taylor pen (7)

FOLKESTONE INVICTA:
1.David Hogan 2.Frankie Chappell 3.Ronald Edge 4.Kevin Watson 5.Liam Friend 6.Samuel Kola Okikiolu (Piper) 7.James Everett 8.Ryan Briggs (Knott) 9.Damian Abel 10.Leigh Bremner (Sly) 11.Michael Everitt Subs: 12.Rob Knott 14.Liam Dickson 15.David Piper 16.Ben Sly 17.Luke Stonebridge

reporter: Mark Wells
photographs by John Lines

A 7th minute penalty from Lewis Taylor was enough to give Horsham their second victory in four days against a hard working Folkestone Invicta side who enjoyed plenty of possession without seriously threatening Alan Mansfield’s goal. “It wasn’t a great game but you’ll get games like that,” commented Hornets boss John Maggs. “Last year we were 2-0 up and they got a draw. Tonight we’ve scored from the spot and that’s it, 1-0. We’ll take that but we know we can play better”. Of more concern to the manager was striker Carl Rook who limped out of the action after less than half an hour. “Johnny Harris took a good look at him this afternoon but couldn’t find anything wrong so I kept him in the side” added Maggs. “He’s got a problem with his pelvis but he’s gone and done a silly tackle, dangled his leg in, and that’s what’s done him. He’ll probably need a couple of week’s rest.”  Rook's enforced absence enabled him to renew his acquaintance with former strike partner Jamie Taylor now, of course a full-time pro with Football League side Dagenham & Redbridge, who had taken taken the opportunity to watch his ex-team mates from the stand.

Horsham are one of only three sides sporting maximum points after the opening two matches, a position they find themselves in for only the second time in 13 seasons, and a good sized crowd sat back in anticipation of a comfortable win after Taylor’s early strike. However, that they were unable to capitalise on their early lead was due, in part, to the energetic display by the visitors in which they rarely gave their opponents time on the ball and Horsham’s own propensity to retain possession among their back four with the midfield rendered almost redundant for large spells and, with it, the service to Lee Farrell disappointingly limited. A quiet opening, in which Folkestone’s James Everitt had the game’s first shot on goal, came to life when Samuel Kola Okikiolu fouled Lee Carney on the halfway line. A deep free-kick from Andy Howard was headed into the penalty area by Gary Charman and, when Kevin Hemsley was hauled over by Liam Friend, referee Lee Collins was given one of his easier decisions of the night. Placing the ball on the spot, Taylor stepped forward and sent David Hogan the wrong way to give the Hornets the early advantage. It was the worst possible start for the visitors, after the weekend mauling by Wealdstone, and the frustrations of the Folkestone bench were palpable with every subsequent foul or refereeing decision against their side met by a volley of expletive-ridden appeals by Neil Cugley and his assistants with their passion manifesting itself on the pitch through the Everitt brothers, James and Michael, Damien Abel and new signing Leigh Bremner, the committed approach of each of them threatening to overstep the mark at times.

Given the boost of the early goal, Horsham quickly went in search of a second and Carney’s clever dummy gave Taylor sight of goal once more but he shot wide from the edge of the area. Rook headed Carney’s free-kick past the post before Folkestone hit back with an effort from Ryan Briggs and a well worked corner that saw James Everitt also off target. A challenge by Rook on Okikiolu left the striker limping and he was replaced by John Westcott after 26 minutes, the home side reverting to the line-up that finished Saturday’s game with Carney assuming a more advanced position to assist the now lone striker Farrell. The visitors’ best move of the game came a couple of minutes later when Bremner fired in a left foot shot after accurate passing had created an opening. Charman was getting little chance to shine on the left flank, thanks to the close attention of Frankie Chappell, and his frustrations boiled over when Mr Collins adjudged the ball to have crossed the bye-line with the Horsham man homing in on goal and he picked up a booking for his vehement protest, joining Jacob Mingle who had been cautioned for an earlier foul on Briggs. A neat chipped pass from Carney put Taylor in with a shooting chance but he put his shot wide and there was a scare at the other end when a careless pass from Hemsley presented Abel with the ball and only a desperate block from the skipper prevented Abel from getting his shot away. It should have been   2-0 at the break when good pressure from Carney, Farrell and Taylor forced an error in the visitors’ defence and only a timely challenge denied Westcott from converting Carney’s pass at the far post. From the resulting corner, Hemsley headed over the top to leave Horsham with a slender half-time lead.

H/T Horsham 1 Folkestone Invicta 0

A neat exchange of passes between Carney, Taylor and Farrell saw the Hornets threaten immediately after the restart but Carney’s shot, like those before him, was off target. The same player came even closer to extending the lead, somewhat fortuitously, when, given a second opportunity to deliver a cross, he sent in a tantalising delivery that drifted across the face of goal beyond several outstretched legs and missing the far upright by mere inches. Hemsley’s interception began an incisive move that cut through the Folkestone ranks but, when Mingle played in Westcott behind the full-back, the winger’s cross was disappointing and dropped harmlessly on to the roof of Hogan’s net. The home side were making all the running in the opening stages of the second period and a trademark free-kick from Howard sought out the head of Charman but Hemsley got his angles all wrong and headed his colleague’s flick-on away from goal rather than towards the net. A poor challenge on Brake by Kevin Watson saw the Folkestone defender yellow carded while Brake himself followed soon after for throwing the ball away. Abel’s tireless display in attack for the visitors almost earned its rewards when he twisted and turned and curled a 20 yard shot just over the top, after Horsham had lost possession midway inside their own half, and Cugley added fresh legs into his side by replacing Bremner with Ben Sly on 65 minutes. The half chances continued to come, more by misplaced passes and deflections than moves of quality, and Taylor struck a loose ball wide as it broke to him on the edge of the box. Folkestone were forced into a further change when Okikiolu limped out of the action to be replaced by former Bognor Regis captain David Piper with 20 minutes remaining. The visitors felt they had a strong case for a penalty when Sly claimed to have been held back by Tom Graves after making advances into the penalty area and Abel was booked for taking his frustrations out on Taylor with a late challenge. Cugley’s final substitution saw Briggs withdrawn in favour of Rob Knott as the match petered out with another Taylor shot going too high and a booking for Carney whose annoyance at the breakdown of another attack brought a foul on Michael Everitt. Friend headed a chance wide at the death but the visitors were unable to break through and Horsham could enjoy the luxury of maximum points from their opening two matches for the first time since 2000.

More match photos can be found here

NEXT MATCH: v Boreham Wood (h) Saturday 25th August ko 3.00pm