Force record narrow win

Faversham Strike Force’s roller-coaster season continued against Chessington & Hook as a 1-0 home victory on Saturday moved them up to 11th in Southern Counties East Division 1.

With Storm Arwen’s fierce winds blowing any notions of free-flowing football away, the hosts had to work hard to assert their dominance against lowly opponents. The Force produced the better play in the first half but chances were at a premium. Faversham had the wind at their backs in the second half, which proved to be a significant advantage as Tom Barton and Ali Adam came close to scoring.

Paul Mancktelow was pulling the strings in midfield but picked up a knock and he was replaced by Tom Axford. The substitute was soon involved in the game’s decisive moment, however, as his pass found Radi Davidov who scored. Defender Ali Wren was named Strike Force’s manof-the-match for his role in a solid defensive display which saw them keep a clean sheet. “It was a very important win,” said Strike Force manager Gary Axford. “We played some good football at times despite the conditions. “After six matches without a win, and some decent performances, this was exactly what we needed.” Strike Force visit secondbottom Meridian this weekend. Meanwhile, Strike Force Women slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Diamond United in similarly testing conditions. The Force went into the match with confidence following their 6-0 cup victory over the Ashford side in October, but they conceded early from the spot before falling further behind. They did pull one back moments before half-time when Jade Hynes’ inchperfect cross left Emma Baker with a simple tap-in. Faversham were on the attack after the restart but couldn’t make their superiority count and, despite some good saves from keeper Shae Crawley, their fate was sealed by the hosts’ third. Player-of-the-match Ellison Gashi was in top form for under-9 Lightning against Dynamo United, claiming four goals in a ruthless firsthalf display.

Sid Biscoe rounded off a topclass team performance with another goal after the break.