Lewes 1 Folkestone Invicta 3

[spur]

How did we lose this one? That's not a rhetorical question, because I'll suggest some answers, but half an hour in we were in full control and waiting for the first goal in what would surely be a routine victory. Invicta hit the bar from distance soon afterwards, but Archie then conjured a cross which had the visitors scrambling the ball clear, and Gondoh tracked across the box and fired in a shot which their keeper did well to save.

And yet we went in at the break 2-0 behind. The first goal followed hesitation between Murtagh and Salmon, allowing one of their attackers to whip the ball away from them and send a low drive past Nathan Harvey. For the second an Invicta forward was sharper than our defence in reaching a cross to the near post.

We needed a prompt response but didn't get one. Our chief problem seems to be that however much possession we have - and we continued to have most of it - we have difficulty in creating genuine chances. Add to that an occasional frailty at the back (Invicta put the game out of reach with a clinical breakaway goal) and you have the recipe for more results like this.

How, desperate encouragement aside, Tommy Wood was made man of the match is unfathomable. He's full of running, but he struggled again. I'd have chosen Gondoh, who gave the left side of their defence a torrid time as we struggled to get back into the game, and a mention for Kalvin on the other wing, who scored our consolation with a solo effort, but the fact is that we create little and are shot-shy when t ocasioal

[spur]

(finger trouble!) shot-shy when the occasional chance presents itself.

But a crowd of 992 soaked up the sunshine, we welcomed back that old Rooks warhorse Andy Drury as their no 6, and we're only a few points off the top of the table. Onwards and upwards!

[johngreet]

I can't t understand how Tony kept Salmon on the pitch, he had a mare!

[ringmerrook16]

Poor today, sloppy defending the Folkestone break and generally looked like we lacked a cutting edge going forward.

How Wood got man of the match was an absolute mystery. As I’ve said before I’ll back him the whole time he’s in a Lewes shirt, but if we want to be in and about the play offs he won’t be the man to do it for us. If Tony and Joe aren’t on the lookout for centre forwards I’ll be shocked - 0 in 6 league games is poor.

[The old boy]

Should have been in front after 15 minutes and that changes the path of the game and bear in mind we’re running a new team in here with only 3 players from last seasons great squad and one of them didn’t play that much either. JT is a massive loss but I feel Wood will (should) get there with more games. Unfortunately for me and I said this last year we don’t make things easy for a centre forward by not putting the ball in the box enough. Other teams do it and it causes problems, induces mistakes and leads to more chances. Early days yet and although the same applies for both teams today was volcanic.

[agl]

Well beaten by a team which had a really good shape and two mobile forwards, who gave our centre halves a difficult afternoon
Loads of possession but not much end product. Looked better when we got Whelpdale more involved by moving him more central. Who ever gave Wood motm was surely having a laugh. At the very least we need an option to bring on up front. Stick Smith, their no 9, in our 11 and we're a good team.

[pj]

Well I didn't think we were that bad today. We played some gpod stuff. Invicta were just much sharper and more dangerous than us up front and finished very well.
Still a bit too shot shy for my liking though. Have a go a bit more often,rather than losing the ball on the 34th pass. I feel a bit sorry for Wood. He seems to be constantly wrestled with but rarely gets the foul.

[Thebigman]

I thought at times we played well. Before the drinks break in the first half we looked on top and Wood hit the post. But other than that we didn’t create many chances. After the drinks break Folkestone got on the ball more and took advantage of some poor defending for the first goal - although the finish from David Smith was very good.

Start of the second half we were very sloppy, and didn’t play well really until it went to 3-0, then we had a bit of a go but chasing a game in that heat yesterday was an impossible task really.

I think that Wood has been good for us and whilst it probably wasn’t a MOTM performance yesterday from what I have seen he works hard and can bring others into play, and was unlucky not to score yesterday in the first half.

[offside]

Harvey Hughes MOTM for me for some brilliant tackles and good all round play.

It was an off day yesterday for sure as we struggled with giving the ball away a lot in silly areas and inviting the counter from Folkestone. It was always going to be hard for whichever team conceded first to chase the game in the heat. Folkestone managed it brilliantly after they went ahead and made it very hard for us to break their lines and then taking their chances on the counter.

It was a shame Deon Moore was unavailable (although obviously great for him to be playing internationally) as if we had one of Moore, KLK or Gondoh to bring off the bench against tired defenders that could have been a game changer.

[Barry Collins]

Supporters Club match report here: lewesfcsupporters.club/lewes-1-vs-folkestone-invicta-3-mercury-rising/

[brightonexile]

Greetings from FI fan, exiled in Brighton. Wanted to make a couple of comments about the game & visiting the Dripping Pan, which I try to do a few times a season.

Undoubtedly a smash & grab performance from Invicta yesterday. Did we deserve the win? probably not but took the small opportunities we had and that made all the difference. I thought on a different day Lewes probably would've won. The opportunity which hit the post from Lewes before the water break was pivotal - had that gone in it would've been a different story I think. I thought you passed the ball well through the team and didn't quite have the finishing edge throughout the game. Invicta were well organised defensively and played to our strengths on the pacy forwards we have. I came to the Cray game and was really impressed with the team, especially the left winger. Spoke to some lads in the beer queue and they said the last min equaliser against Hornchurch, a game which you overwhelming should've won, seems to have knocked the stuffing out of your performances and results recently. Interesting to hear some thoughts from regulars.

I do unfortunately have a moan to raise which I'm loathed to do about your fantastic club and set up. The bar situation. If anyone at the club is reading this message of any influence, please sort the situation out. This is my second visit to the Dripping Pan this season & getting a drink is an ordeal, which takes at least 15-20mins. It seems to have turned into a free-for-all. I understand the ladies and gents behind the bar are likely volunteers, but they seem completely dis-organised, slow and serve with no urgency given the queue's. On my trip to the Cray game, one of the bar staff was updating the board at HT when it was absolutely packed - Just serve the punters!!! I have spoken to lads in queues at both games and there is a general consensus about how bad the situation is, the serving abilities of the staff is almost boarding on comical, I'm very sorry to say. It really needs looking and someone to organise things a lot better and train the staff properly. It has to be hitting club revenues where fans don't bother tackling the queues.

[doc]

Thought we started well and Tamplin had a bright 20 minutes or so, but faded after his silly booking. I reckon his dad was there seeing that Ferrari parked badly. 

Wood should have scored, but after Invicta hit the bar they looked the more dangerous team and deserved the win.

Some criticism of Salmon above, but there was some slack play in front leaving him exposed. Murtagh had a poor game in particular and the midfield defensive shield and a less than clinical centre forward, thus far, seem to be our main weaknesses.

Gondoh comfortably man of the match for us, although I'd have given it to their number 10. 

[doc]

Sept 10, 2023 10:25:11 GMT brightonexile said:

 The bar situation. 

Yes, rank isn't it? 

I moaned pre season about how slow the service was - not the staff, but pumps which seem to pour slower than my own tubes now I'm getting old. 

Gave up during the last game and I now take a hip flask in. 

[robm99]

On another note -was Deshane Dalling at 17?

[North Chailey Rook]

Sept 10, 2023 10:50:38 GMT doc said:

Sept 10, 2023 10:25:11 GMT brightonexile said:

 The bar situation. 

Yes, rank isn't it? 

I moaned pre season about how slow the service was - not the staff, but pumps which seem to pour slower than my own tubes now I'm getting old. 

Gave up during the last game and I now take a hip flask in. 

Totally agree, it's a shambles. But if you can't get enough bar staff, what can you do.

I gave up in the end and didn't bother getting anything, and I wasn't the only one. So the club is missing out on revenue. And why can't you buy soft drinks at the pie and mash hut anymore? You have to queue at the bar for a can of Coke!!