Sutton Valence welcomed Folkestone to the Senior School pitch for the first league game of the season and for the majority of Sutton Valence 4’s their first game at Adult level.
The Game started with Sutton Valence in high tempo and quick passes that left Folkestone on the back foot for a period of the first half.
A few loose passes saw Folkestone intercept and mount their own attack, which left the young guns of Sutton Valence chasing the ball down the pitch, causing a short corner that Folkestone benefitted from to get their goal of the match. The ball was interjected by Folkestone and got a light deflection to wrong foot Sutton Valence keeper David Turner causing the ball to roll down his arm into the back of the net.
The rest of the half continued in a battle of the young players in the middle of the pitch.
Half time talk was “make sure the passes have the power and the precision to reach the player”
Second half, with the team talk taken in, Sutton Valence put their self on the front foot and kept Folkestone camped in their own half not allowing them to play their game.
Sutton Valence kept probing the Folkestone goal but with mountain of a Keeper between the sticks this was a hard job to penetrate.
Then a great movement from Andrew Lee saw that he had a direct target on goal and he took his opportunity with Rod Harcourt lurking at the post to guarantee the ball went in.
The remainder of the second half continued with Folkestone camped inside their half with rare advances out, the game progressed. Tired legs allowed a rare Folkestone attack that was dealt with by combined efforts of Captain Rob Cockayne, William Vanns and Andrew Lee.
Final whistle blew with the points shared, and a incredibly promising start for the new young team of Sutton Valence.

Goal: Rod Harcourt

Team:
Archer Ripley
Matthew Lemmon
Ryan Page
William Vanns
Henry Powell
Rob Cockayne
David Turner
Jonah Harcourt
Steve Vanns
Duncan Wills
Olly Sheldon
Andrew Lee
Rod Harcourt

Next Match Maidstone M6 VS SVHC 27/09/25