Bishop’s Stortford 3-0 Folkestone Invicta Match Report 2/4/22
A second hat-trick in five games for Frankie Merrifield secured a 3-0 win for Bishop’s Stortford at home to Folkestone Invicta on Saturday. Merrifield – who also netted three times in the win against Merstham – scored twice from the spot in the second half after an open play finish before the break, taking his total for the season to 21 goals. The Blues have won their last five games and haven’t conceded in their last 10 matches, with the unbeaten run stretching to 15 matches. Stortford need two points from their last four games to be mathematically sure of a play-off place.
Ryan Charles’ low cross from the left found Chris Harris at the back post, but his side-footed attempt was into the body of goalkeeper Timothy Roberts who grabbed the loose ball on the rebound. Adam Yusuff cut in off the right wing and shot low with his left foot from a central position, but straight at Jack Giddens who made the save. Johnville Renee crossed from deep on the right wing towards Merrifield in the box, but Roberts commanded his box well and came out to catch the high ball. Harris headed wide the next cross from Renee, before Charles volleyed wide from 20 yards. Ben Marlow dragged a shot wide on his weaker foot from long range, before a low strike from the midfielder narrowly missed the bottom left corner after Jonny Giles’ free kick was half-cleared to him on the edge of the box. Merrifield broke the deadlock inside half an hour with a side-foot volley from the six-yard line from a deep cross by Marlow. It was nearly an instant equaliser when Yusuff forced Giddens into a diving save to tip a curling effort over the bar for a corner. A short corner kick was nearly swept into the bottom corner but Anthony Church blocked the low shot and Giddens caught the loose ball. Alfie Paxman fired wide from a free kick in a promising position outside of the box.
HT 1-0
Ronnie Dolan floated a left wing free kick wide of the far post before Yusuff went down in the box hoping for a penalty but referee Michael Robertson-Tant waved away the appeals. Yusuff then switched the play to Daivd Smith who curled his shot wide from the right side of the box. At the other end, Ryan Johnson fouled Merrifield in the box and he slotted home from 12 yards into the bottom right corner with Roberts diving the wrong way. Substitute Darren Foxley saw his low shot from a tight angle saved well by Roberts, before Scott Heard volleyed wide from range. Ian Drayvott’s long range strike went harmlessly wide and Tyler Sterling’s speculative effort was easily saved by Giddens. Dolan had hold of Foxley’s shirt as he dribbled into the box, and conceded a penalty in the eighth minute of injury time at the end of the game. Merrifield completed his hat-trick, though Roberts got a glove to the spot kick to the bottom left, but it looped up into the roof of the net.
FT 3-0
TEAMS
Blues XI
1 Jack Giddens
4 Anthony Church
5 Sam Robbins
6 Ryan Henshaw (c) (Yellow card 45’)
7 Jonny Giles (Foxley 64’)
8 Ben Marlow (Yellow card 27’) (Jones 81’)
9 Chris Harris
10 Frankie Merrifield (Goal 29’ 64’p 90+8’p)
11 Johnville Renee
15 Ryan Charles (Yellow card 55’) (Banton 74’)
19 Billy Cracknell
Subs
3 Archie Edwards
14 Darren Foxley
16 Jason Banton
17 Mark Haines
18 Archie Jones
Folkestone Invicta XI
1 Timothy Roberts
2 Joshua Vincent
3 Kieron McCann (Sterling 80’)
4 Matthew Newman
5 Callum Davies (c)
6 Ryan Johnson (Draycott 77’)
7 Scott Heard
8 Ronnie Dolan (Yellow card 90+7’)
9 David Smith
10 Adam Yusuff
11 Alfie Paxman
Subs
12 Ian Draycott
14 Tyler Sterling
15 Micheal Everitt
16 Lenny Atherton
17 Connor Collins
Attendance 456
