Peacehaven Prove Too Strong for Folkestone

Wednesday’s match against fifth place Folkestone Invicta was never going to be easy, and so it proved with a well organised opposition.

All the talk before the match was about the fact that there were two scouts in the stands from Brentford and Stoke City. Allegedly they were there to run the rule over the Invicta striker, 18 year old Johan Ter Horst.

Whilst the final score was convincing, this was very much a win built on a solid defensive performance from the Haven pairing of Craig Richards and captain Ash Jones.

Peacehaven took the lead early on the 10th minute, when they sprang the visitor’s well drilled offside trap. From Jamie Brotherton’s run and cross, Tom Burton finished off the move.

The rest of the first half saw a very compressed, physical game, with both sides matching each other in the middle third of the pitch. Very few chances came Haven’s way, despite their hard work and endeavour.

With the Haven goal frequently under threat, Charlie Walker and Brotherton both did well to each relieve the pressure on the defence, and came close to adding to the score.

The second half saw the home team looking to push on for the second goal, but being cautious not to let Invicta back into the game.

Pushing out, twice they attacked from balls knocked on from the half way line, but both Walker and Brotherton were denied by stoic defending.

Haven’s pressure was finally rewarded with 15 minutes to play, when Josh Jones on the left played a delicate ball forward to again spring the offside trap. As the defence scurried back, following up his own pass, his shot was deflected out to Brotherton on the edge of the box, who volleyed home to double the lead.

The best goal of the game was yet to come. On the 85th minute, Dan McLaughlin lobbed a ball over the static defence for Josh Jones to run onto. As he ran in from an extremely acute angle, he managed to thread his shot through the eye of a needle to find the net.

As for the promising youngster Ter Horst, well he was given a master class, by experienced defender Richards, who had him in his pocket all night, hardly allowing him any space, never mind worthwhile chances.

By Michael Burnage