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Chelmsford City 3-0 Folkestone Invicta, Monday 13th November 2006, Chelmsford Sport & Athletics Centre, Kick-Off 7:45pm, Ryman League Premier Division.
Mario Noto, Jason Hallett and Kezie Ibe were the goal-scoring heroes for City on Monday night as their trio of strikes ended Folkestone's stranglehold over this fixture and earned three valuable points. Chelmsford finished the night as comfortable winners despite absorbing some difficult periods of Folkestone possession on a night not many things seemed to be going the way of the home side. The first sign it was to be a troublesome night arrived as several players were stuck in dense traffic outside the County Town though all but Jeff Minton made it back in time for kick-off. Minton was named as a substitute, with Gavin Heeroo taking his place in the centre of midfield. Folkestone themselves had only a short time to prepare for the game which could have explained why the first half an hour of play was limited to a half-dangerous Chris Duffy cross from the left for entertainment. However, this was an evening where the score-line was more important than the display for Chelmsford and a 35th-minute bullet from prolific midfielder Noto was welcomed with open arms. Ibe was fouled just outside the box and the ex-Spurs youngster effortlessly stroked his shot into the net off the underside of the crossbar. A second goal was a whisker away two minutes later when Ricky Holmes screamed down the right hand side and centred for Heeroo to turn from a back-to-goal position fifteen yards out and hammer just over the crossbar. Folkestone weren't without opportunities of their own, however, and Paul Jones' threat was snuffed-out by 'keeper Richard McKinney low down while Chris Duffy's head came to the rescue four minutes prior to the interval to block a seemingly goal-bound volley from distance. After the break the visitors enjoyed territorial advantage for twenty or so minutes but they couldn't equal the chances the Clarets were creating at the other end. Noto rounded several defenders and struck low at journeyman goalkeeper Tony Kessell although McKinney was again called into action in saving a low Jones strike in the 58th minute. With twenty minutes remaining, however, Hallett decided the destination of the points by following-up a parried Heeroo effort and placing the ball into the bottom corner to double the City lead. He was involved once more seconds later and nearly bagged his second but for the arms of Kessell who saved. Ten minutes before the end Holmes was still energetic and sprinted into space before executing an intelligent pass to the overlapping Jay Conroy who sent a whipped low ball to the far post where Hallett's touch took the ball onto the post. And the bustling young Hallett was the catalyst for the hosts' third goal with three minutes left, holding the ball up and feeding Ibe, who dribbled into the box and watched his strike take a vital deflection over Kessell into the net to seal the win. City: 1 Richard McKinney Folkestone Invicta: Tony Kessell, Kevin Watson, Steve Norman, Adam Flanagan, Liam Friend, James Everitt, Michael Everitt, Luke Howell, Mark Saunders, Damian Abel, Paul Jones. Subs: Walid Matata, Mark Towse, Simon Rainbow, Luke Stonebridge. Bookings: City: Heeroo (25, foul), Noto (39, foul), Ward (65, foul), Manuella (80, foul). Folkestone: Friend (16, foul), James Everitt (73, dissent). Referee: Mr I. Fissenden (Gravesend). Assistant Referees: Mr M.R. Spradbery (Grays) and Mr D. Blunden (Dartford). Attendance: 576. City Man of the Match: Jason Hallett. |
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By Chris Evans
(Picture by Matt Bradshaw)
