Folkestone Invicta 0 Hampton & Richmond Borough 2

THERE were unprecedented scenes at the Westbourne Stadium on Saturday when referee Gavin Hoare walked off the pitch after just 65 minutes and appeared to have abandoned the game in front of a stunned 389 crowd.

Play eventually re-started after a delay of over ten minutes during which the players returned to the dressing rooms and supporters remained baffled as to what was going on.

Mr Hoare declined the opportunity to explain his actions after the game saying only that he would include what happened in his report to the FA. It is believed he felt threatened after being verbally barracked by supporters.

An entertaining first half was overshadowed by what happened during the first 20 minutes of the second half.

The bizarre sequence of events began after 55 minutes when Invicta's Simon Glover was booked for a foul on Hampton's Ryan Ashe who was then booked for retaliation.

From the subsequent free kick the game turned on what had seemed to be an innocuous off-the-ball incident which resulted in a penalty for Hampton and a straight red card for Invicta centre half John Guest.

The sending off and spot kick were awarded for an alleged punch in the back of the Hampton striker, although Guest is adamant that whilst there was a collision between the two players, no punch was thrown.

Ryan Ashe stepped up to convert the 58th minute penalty to open the scoring.

But referee Hoare lost all control of the game when he awarded a questionable free kick against Micheal Everitt for a challenge on Graham Harper after 65 minutes.

Incensed Invicta manager Neil Cugley was himself sent off and banished to the stands for his protests and left back Paul Lamb booked for dissent. The referee then spoke with the Invicta bench and walked off the pitch.

Cugley said after the match: "When I say that Gavin Hoare was the referee then that is all I need to say. Other players and managers in Kent will know what I mean by that.

"When he is the referee you are always in for an interesting game and this is unlike anything I have previously seen in over 30 years in non-league football."

Controversy seems to follow the Strood official around and this is by no means the first time he has been involved in disputes with the Folkestone club.

During this month alone, Mr Hoare has been involved with incidents involving two youth team officials at Invicta and only four days prior to Saturday's game he had sent off Paul Sykes for dissent in a Kent Senior Cup tie away to Dartford.

In August 2000 he became the first referee to send Cugley off when he disallowed a seemingly legitimate goal from James Dryden in a home game against Salisbury City.

Before that, Mr Hoare had left his mark on a home match against Burnham in February 2000 when he sent three visiting players off.

On this occasion, a closely fought game appeared to have little edge to it. What seemed like being a run-of-the-mill fixture will now be an afternoon which will live in the memory of all those who witnessed it.

For the record, when play resumed Hampton added a second goal when Elliott Godfrey smacked the ball in from an Allen cross in the 77th minute.

Allen had earlier had the game's first real chance when he shot over from the edge of the penalty area after 19 minutes following a breakaway after an Invicta corner at the other end.

But Invicta were close themselves after 23 minutes when Dryden's header was touched onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Kieron Drake after Lamb picked the striker out with a cross from the left and James Everitt was just unable to force the rebound over the line at the far post.

Dryden was setting a new Invicta club record of 224 senior starting appearances but what should have been a celebratory afternoon for the 24-year-old was overshadowed by the later events.

A Dryden shot was charged down by Orlando Jeffrey in the 35th minute when the striker went round two defenders inside the penalty area after receiving the ball from Lamb again.

Hampton had a clear chance after 40 minutes when Andy Morley was wide with a diving header at the far post.

The first half finished with another Invicta chance when Glover nearly prodded the ball in from close range following a Dryden knock-down.

When play resumed after the second half delay it was Hampton who had all the chances as Allen's cross-shot came back off the top of the crossbar and Godfrey made it 2-0.

Allen then put another chance wide and Invicta centre half Adam Flanagan blocked on the line to deny substitute Eric Kwayke when the ball was played in from the right hand side.

By then it hardly mattered.

Folkestone: Kessell, J. Everitt (Neilson 67), Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, M. Everitt, Glover (Munday 60), Dryden, Sykes, Norman. Subs Not Used: Walker, Coleman, Watson.