Folkestone Invicta Lift the Kent U18 Boys Youth Cup!

Folkestone Invicta Lift the Kent U18 Boys Youth Cup!

By Mike Green, Kent Sports News
K Sports FC 1 - 3 Folkestone Invicta FC

Folkestone Invicta Lift the Kent U18 Boys Youth Cup!

Folkestone Invicta FC 3-1 K Sports FC

Folkestone Invicta survived a battling comeback to defeat K Sports 3-1 in the penultimate 2019 Kent Cup Final and ease some of the Clubs pain as the first team agonisingly missed out on the BOSTIK Premier Division Play Offs on the last day of the season.

Invicta eased into a two goal lead just before the break courtesy of goals from Jake Grant (who scored directly from a corner) and Tyler Sterling before Tom Goodayle gave Sports the early initiative in the second period by netting just before the break.  But it wasn’t to be as Jordan Small managed to squeeze between two defenders to score with some aplomb to leave Sports with too much to do and too little time to do it.

For Folkestone coach Paul Stanton to win the Trophy was one thing but to do it at Homelands where his late brother Mark became a club legend ironically under current legendary Folkestone first team boss Neil Cugley.  “A great morning!” a smiling Stanton said to KSN. “All the players did well – we got the ball down and played football and I’m really pleased!  It’s also good that they won this Trophy last year and after running them close last year, it’s about time the Club won this Trophy as its been a long time since the Club won it!”

K Sports assistant coach Paul Geear admitted his disappointment to KSN when he said, “We won it last year so to be here this morning to defend it is an achievement in itself!  It was a close game where they took their chances and I’m afraid that we didn’t.  When we got the goal back, I thought we might get something, but it wasn’t to be…  we can still win the League which we’ll now push onto – a good trophy defence, but in the end well done to Folkestone.”

And it was Folkestone who took the lead when the elements lent a “helping hand” as Grant’s right wing corner deceived everyone and dropped into the net at the back-post!  The lead was doubled just past the half hour mark.  Small sprinted away down the right hand side and his ball into the box found Hector Dupree and although he couldn’t get a shot in, Sterling duly smashed the ball past keeper Callum Foreman and into the net.

To their eternal credit, K Sports did as they had to and were back in the game before the break.  Previously Goodayle had found space behind the defence only to shoot wide, but on 43 minutes his shot nestled in the corner of the to set up a terrific second half.

And for a while, K Sports were knocking at the Invicta door without any joy, and their frustration reached another level when Small drove the ball beyond the dive of keeper Foreman and into the corner of the net to re-establish the two goal cushion which was in the end prove to be decisive.

Sports sub Bevan Donohoe was then left in a heap as keeper Foreman cleared superbly – indeed the Folkestone keeper “took out” his own defender at the same time to keep his goal intact.  Goodayle then twice went close – one with an angled drive that smacked off the cross-bar and a shot that was clawed away by Coleman.  Not even the presence of keeper Foreman in the Folkestone box for three late corners could get K Sports back into the game, and the Final Whistle meant that the Trophy was making a short trip to the coast and the trophy cabinet at Cheriton Road.

 

FOLKESTONE INVICTA – Joe Coleman, Ben Binder, Finn Wood, Kieron Jones, Ethan Madden, Joss Wickham (Shawn Ikwuagua), Jake Grant (Ethan Farnham), Tyler Sterling, Jordan Small, Hector Dupree (Ryan Aldritt), Brad BakerSubs – Chris Calthorpe & Ollie Mitchell

K SPORTS – Callum Foreman, Alfie Gyde, Adam Jones, Micky Mantle, Ben Walker, Freddie Entwhistle, Luke Martin, Beau Landau, Tom Goodayle, George Robinson, Harry MorganSubs – Joe Wilson & Damian Barley

Referee – Matthew Williams

Assistants – Timothy Casey & Ian Southgate

Fourth Official – Mark Lewis

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