PITCHING-IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
CRAY VALLEY (PM) 1 FOLKESTONE INVICTA 2 - 26 APRIL 2025 - ATT 331
Goals: CV - Coker 91
FI - Smith 4, Fanimo 56

Match Report by Steve Chapman for the NLP

Cray Valley face a mouthwatering play-off semi-final against Dartford on Wednesday as they kept their National South dream alive despite losing to Folkestone Invicta. With their play off slot already secured, it was somewhat inevitable Millers manager Steve McKimm’s thoughts were on the upcoming trip to Princes Park as he rested a number of his key players.

This encounter inevitably had an end-of-season feel about it and the opening goal by the visitors in the 4th minute set the tone for the afternoon. Centre forward Dan Smith picked up the ball on the edge of the box following a quickly taken throw in and turned without being challenged to slot the ball past Harrison Chamberlain. It took Valley 20 minutes to have their first meaningful shot on target when Matt Vigor’s fierce drive from 20 yards out was pushed over the bar by keeper Johny Henley.

The Seasiders doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Evans Kouassi’s cross was converted by Matthias Fanimo. A late rally by the Millers nearly salvaged a point. Firstly, Andre Coker headed home a deep cross from Barney Williams in the 90th minute before Marcel Barrington harshly had a goal disallowed for a foul on substitute young keeper Daniel Kennedy.

MAN OF THE MATCH – Evans Kouassi (Folkestone Invicta)

MILLERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Matty Vigor

Millers: Chamberlain, Williams, Bowry, Lema, Asiedu, Gayle (c) (Ademiluyi 69), Black, Cumberbatch, Vigor (Parker 74), Shomotun (Coker 9), Coombes (Barrington 36) Sub not used: Waldren
Cautions: Lema, Coker, Asiedu

Invicta: Henry (Kennedy 87) Hoyte (c), Morgan, Scarlett, Green, Kassarate, Turner, Fanimo, Smith, Yusuff (Da Costa 68), Koussi (Walledge 74))
Cautions: Morgan, Da Costa

Referee: Colman O'Mera
Assistants: Owen Lawrence and Dylan Wood

Additional Match Report:
The Preston Perspective - courtesy of Preston Lee-Willott - Cray Valley (PM) Supporter
"Invicta Invited In!"
Cray Valley PM 1 - 2 Folkestone Invicta
Att : 331
With the Millers now gauranteed a 4th place finish regardless of today's action, the management quite understandably rested several key players including Tom Beere, Kiki Oshilaja, and Tom Chambers. The visitors , perhaps sensing a chance to finish a season of mid table security with a morale boosting win , were lively from the start and were ahead after only 4 minutes.
A very entertaining first 45 minutes ensued as the Millers sought to get back on terms with Matty Vigor looking particularly impressive with several great chances one of which needed a glorious fingertip save from the visiting 'keeper to prevent it reaching the top corner.
Set piece delivery though was perhaps not our forte today, as a fair few corners and free kicks didnlt clear the first man, and when one did Danny Bowry seeking to repeat the exploits of our bank holiday promenade down to Chatham headed just over the bar
The second half was perhaps less entertaining than the first, although it contained the decisive moment of the match , when a ruthless and effective counter-attack saw the well supported visitors double their lead on 56 minutes.
From then on the "fizz" seemed to evaporate from the game, and thoughts turned to mobile phones to see how the games involving the top 3 sides were evolving with an eye to where we might be on Wednesday night ..... until Jay Saunders the Folkestone manager decided to liven things up a bit by inexplicably subbing his experienced 'keeper with a much smaller younger replacement.
Sensing vulnerability, The Millers intensified again, and the young 'keeper flapped at a ball and Andre Coker said "thankyou very much" for 1 -2
We thought we'd salvaged a draw after the young sub in between the sticks flapped and missed again and the ball was in the net ........ but the ref disallowed it for reasons that for me were unclear
And that was that - Onto the play-offs ........ where anything can happen !
C'mon Yooouuuu Millers !!!!!

Match Photos; Romana at Inspire Socials
https://www.crayvalleypmfc.com/photos/millers-v-folkestone-invicta-26425-photos-inspire-socials-1138344.html