Folkestone Invicta vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 11th November – Match Report
Folkestone Invicta 8
Hutchinson 14, 64, 83, Mason 16, 19, 43
Pigott 27, 47
Cray Wanderers 1
Taylor 31
Cray Wanderers unbeaten away record came to a crushing end as league leaders Folkestone Invicta showed their title credentials with a devastating attacking display to score eight against a Wands side that never recovered from conceding four goals in the first twenty seven minutes.
On a windy evening Folkestone who moved to the top of the table on Saturday saw hat-tricks for full back Ben Mason and Josh Hutchinson with Joe Pigott also netting twice. Quade Taylor’s 31st minute goal unfortunately couldn’t lead to an unlikely comeback and in the end the heaviest Isthmian Premier defeat since the 7-2 loss at Bognor Regis in 2019.
The Wands were looking to build on seven games unbeaten away from home and from the side which drew with Chichester City on Saturday there were four changes with Frankie Morgan, Nods Bobomurodov, Ralfi Hand and Ashley Nzala starting in place of Adrian Gyamera, Josh Williams, Lateef Adaja and Harry Waldock who was recalled by Gillingham for their EFL Trophy match. There was one change for Folkestone from the 3-0 win at Potters Bar Town with Ben Mason coming in for Montel McKenzie.
Following an impeccably observed minute silence on Armistice Day Cray began the game positively winning a couple of corners and from the second of these in the eighth minute, Hand’s cross to the far post fell to Nzala but his effort was blocked by a defender close to the line.
Invicta were beginning though to put their passing game together and in the 14th minute took the lead when Kevin Lokko moved forward and fired in a shot which Ethan Binnie couldn’t hold and following up Jake Hutchinson was able to fire into the net.
Any chance that Cray could shrug that off and start again was blown away two minutes later with a goal of high quality from Ben Mason who cut in from the left and fired in a shot that gave Binnie no chance curling into the top right corner.
In the 19th minute it already looked like a forlorn evening for Cray and beginning to look beleaguered as Invicta scored a third and again Mason with his confidence high was found inside the area and placed an assured finish into the net.
Folkestone continued to attack and in the 27th minute made it 4-0 when a free kick from Mikey Berry into the area was flicked on by Hutchinson but a defensive clearance fell to Joe Pigott who slotted in his ninth of the season.
From here it was a very long road back for Cray but at least had the satisfaction of getting a goal back just after the half hour when from a corner the ball into the box led to a goal mouth scramble and Quade Taylor squeezed the ball in at the right post.
Folkestone nearly added a fifth but Hutchinson’s header was pawed away well by Binnie and the ball was thankfully cleared.
Cray were hoping for half time at this point but two minutes from the break Invicta added a fifth and Mason claimed a first half hat-trick when found by Ike Orji’s pass down the left of the area and once again made no mistake to make it 5-1 at half time and came as a relief.
HT: 5-1
The start of the second half saw all four Wands subs brought on with Adrian Gyamera, Chris Dickson, Lateef Adaja and Josh Williams all brought on but despite this signal of intent Folkestone carried on where they left off and added a second two minutes into the second half.
Down the left Hutchinson who gave Cray a torrid evening up front put over a cross from the left and fell to Pigott who had time and space to pick his spot and net his second of the game and the sixth goal of the evening.
Cray did look to reduce the arrears and Adaja set up Josh Williams who tested Ted Collins with a low shot.
Jay Saunders side with the game won could have been forgiven to drop down a gear or two but even with substitutions still were too sharp for Cray going forward.
In the 64th minute it was 7-1 and after a poor Wands ball out from the back the ball fell to Mason down the left and teed up Hutchinson who again had plenty of time to pick his spot and score.
Folkestone almost grabbed an eighth goal as first Josh Strouts fired over. Then Hutchinson was denied his hat-trick by a great save from Binnie pushing over a header from close range.
The eighth goal though did come seven minutes from time when Montel McKenzie found Strouts down the right and laid the ball across for Hutchinson to make no mistake to complete the scoring much to the Wands relief and make it four straight wins and remain a point clear at the top from Brentwood Town on 36 points.
Folkestone in the Wands defence were in unstoppable form and lethal in front of goal and strong at the back and have certainly put down a marker to the other promotion contenders
For Cray who remain seventh in the table this was a very bad night at the office and never after those initial first ten minutes never really did themselves justice and were never in the game and now have to dust themselves down and head to Welling United on Saturday looking for a first win in eight games and ensure this was just a one off.
Folkestone: Ted Collins, Ike Orji, Ben Mason (Montel McKenzie, 78), Liam Smith, Joel Odeniran, Kevin Lokko (Capt.), Mikey Berry (Jack Jebb, 63), Dean Rance (Josh Strouts, 72), Adam Lovatt (Ronnie Nolan, 65), Jake Hutchinson, Joe Pigott (Ade Yusuff, 76)
Cray Wanderers: Ethan Binnie, Prosper Keto, Quade Taylor, Remi Sutton, Frankie Morgan (Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, H/T), Frankie Raymond (Capt.), Ralfi Hand, Ashley Nzala (Chris Dickson, H/T), Nods Bobomurodov (Josh Williams, H/T), Alex Hernandez, Kareem Isiaka (Lateef Adaja, H/T)
Booked: Sutton 62, Taylor 75
Referee: Simon Cutler
Assistants: Chris Cannon, Thomas Arber
Att: 1131
