Folkestone Invicta stretched their impressive recent run to six wins and six clean sheets from their last seven matches as goals from strikers Paul Jones (2) and James Dryden gave Neil Cugley's side their biggest win of the season so far at Stompond Lane on Tuesday night.

Invicta were in total control during the first half when they established a two-goal lead and were 3-0 up soon after half time to record a comfortable victory against a Walton & Hersham side which had been unbeaten in their previous eight Ryman Premier League matches going back to August.

Fielding an unchanged starting eleven, Invicta had the first real near miss of the game when a Stuart Myall free kick from the left was sliced past his own post by a home defender for the game's first corner after five minutes. Centre half John Guest met Paul Lamb's subsequent set piece at the far post but goalkeeper Nick Gindre was able to keep the header out.

Guest was to be involved in all of Invicta's significant attacking moments during the first half and can claim assists for the opening two goals.

It was Guest who played the ball forward to set JONES free to race clear of the home defence after 23 minutes and the striker hit a clinical finish past Gindre to open the scoring with his second goal in successive games.

Goalkeeper Gindre then touched the ball over the far post for a corner when Guest met Lamb's deep free kick from the left hand side after 31 minutes.

It was 2-0 after 37 minutes when DRYDEN belted the ball into the net via the crossbar from close range after Guest had met Myall's corner from the left at the far post.

Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell finally had to make a real save after 49 minutes when he first kept out a Sam Keevill shot and then Tristan Frontin's subsequent header.

But the visitors went down the other end and increased their lead a minute later when the ball broke to JONES and he found the corner of the net with a sweet strike from the edge of the box.

Invicta were enjoying themselves as Dryden showed great touch but couldn't quite find the net when he played the ball across goal from the left hand side after 57 minutes when captain Scott Lindsey picked him out after Jones had done very well to bring the ball down.

Walton rallied as Kessell had to get up to keep out substitute Will Jenkins' header when Neil Lampton played the ball in from the left after 61 minutes.

The home side did have the ball in the net after 70 minutes, but Baz Savage's 'goal' was ruled out by an assistant referee's flag when he shot into the net after Frontin had struck the post following a cross from the left.

Frontin volleyed wide as Walton sought some kind of consolation after 75 minutes and Savage headed just wide following a corner from the left after 83 minutes.

Kessell then saved with his feet to deny Sean Thurgood after 89 minutes when substitute Lee Riddell played a corner in from the right.

The final corner count of 13-3 in the home side's favour was more a reflection of their pressure at 3-0 down in the final half hour than on the overall balance of a game which went as well as Invicta could have hoped for.

WALTON & HERSHAM: Gindre, Thurgood, Allum, Lavender (Jenkins 55 mins), Reive, Frontin, Lampton, Keevill, Edgar (Nwokeji 52 mins), Savage, Cartwright (Riddell 63 mins). Unused subs: Haylock, Blake.
FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, J. Everitt (Chandler 69 mins), Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, M. Everitt (Neilson 86 mins), Myall, Dryden, Jones (Sly 89 mins), Norman. Unused subs: Watson, Mann.

RM: 11.10.05 Attendance: 173.

RM: 08.10.05 - Folkestone Invicta 2-0 Staines Town

Folkestone Invicta equalled their best ever run in the F. A. Cup when first half goals from Adam Flanagan and Paul Jones gave them victory over a much-fancied Staines Town side at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon and a fifth clean sheet in six matches ensured that there was to be no way back for the visitors.

Centre half FLANAGAN opened the scoring after 21 minutes when he smashed the ball into the net from close range after goalkeeper Shaun Allaway had saved a re-taken James Dryden free kick, Micheal Everitt played the ball back in form the right hand side and big Fiston Manuella hooked the ball off the line.

The free kick had been re-taken for encroachment and Staines captain Danny Gordon was booked after Dryden's initial set piece strike had dipped just over the crossbar, with Staines' Dwayne Plummer off the pitch to put on his correct number ten shirt.

JONES made it 2-0 during first half stoppage time when he headed in his first goal since the opening day of the season after Flanagan had nodded the ball on.

Staines enjoyed the bulk of possession after the interval without reducing the deficit and Invicta were able to enjoy a relatively comfortably victory, though captain Scott Lindsey was sent off for foul and abusive language after 89 minutes.

Invicta went into the game with an unchanged line up and Dryden shot at goalkeeper Allaway from outside the penalty area after three minutes.

At the other end, a low shot from Andr‚ De Lisser flashed across goal from the right hand side after 14 minutes.

Staines responded after Flanagan's opener as Jake Newton stole in and blasted over when Steve Norman blocked his initial shot after 25 minutes.

Newton then showed good footwork inside the box from a Plummer ball after 32 minutes, but goalscorer Flanagan was there to block.

For Invicta, hard-working striker Jones did well to hold the ball up when Lindsey played it over the defence and forced a save from goalkeeper Allaway, with Marien Ifura there to clear for the game's first corner after 35 minutes.

Flanagan had another chance after 43 minutes when he headed Paul Lamb's corner from the right wide at the far post.

But Jones' goal right on half time was to give Invicta breathing space.

Staines rallied after half time and Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell touched over the crossbar from Plummer when Clement James' cross from the left came off Flanagan's head after 50 minutes.

Vastly experienced substitute Craig Maskell then didn't make the most of his chance when Manuella played the ball in after 58 minutes.

Jones was well wide with an attempted lob when the ball broke to him after 63 minutes, whilst at the other end Norma blocked when Tariq Nabil took the ball on and shot from the edge of the penalty area.

37-year-old Staines player/assistant-manager Maskell blasted over at the far post after 70 minutes when James went past James Everitt down the left flank and his cross eluded Flanagan.

Manuella headed over from close range when Maskell played the ball in from the left after 86 minutes.

Jones then whipped in a cross from the left during stoppage time but the consistent Norman was there to clear at the far post.

Invicta defender John Guest (kicking the ball away after nine minutes) and Staines' Michael Murphy (dissent after 72 minutes) were also booked as none of the game's cards came from fouls.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, J. Everitt, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, M. Everitt, Myall, Dryden (Neilson 89 mins), Jones (Glover 89 mins), Norman. Unused subs: Dunlop, Chandler, Mann.
STAINES TOWN: Allaway, Gordon, Murphy (McDonald 79 mins), Ifura (Muldowney 54 mins), Flitter, Newton, De Lisser, Manuella, Nabil, Plummer (Maskell 54 mins), James. Unused subs: Browne, Williams.
RM: 08.10.05 Attendance: 337.
Photo: LA & CA

Flanagan receives Man of the Match award from sponsors KAP.

RM: 03.10.05 - Folkestone Invicta 1-0 East Thurrock Utd

Record goalscorer James Dryden achieved another personal milestone when his 100th goal for the club was enough to give Folkestone Invicta a much-needed win over East Thurrock United at the Buzzlines Stadium on Monday night.

DRYDEN reached his century to break the deadlock just 37 seconds after half time when he fired home after the ball had broken loose on the edge of the penalty area as supporters were still making their way back to the terraces.

The 25-year-old striker's goal was enough to give Invicta their fourth 1-0 win in five matches and put the club back on track after Saturday's 5-0 drubbing at Harrow.

Dryden had been an injury doubt before the game and passed a late fitness test on his back before going on to end a run of five matches without a goal after being like a cricketer stuck on 99 runs.

This was a typically hard fought Ryman Premier League encounter in which clear cut chances were few and far between as Invicta returned to their defensive best after leaking goals at Harrow.

John Guest returned from suspension and Steve Norman also passed a late fitness test after going off injured at Harrow to form a three-man central defensive partnership with Adam Flanagan.

And the home side also had goalkeeper Tony Kessell to save for a miraculous 60th minute save to deny Danny Harris from close range when Lee Burns played the ball in from the right.

Invicta started strongly as Dryden shot wide in the third minute and a Paul Lamb free kick from the right ricocheted back into hands of big goalkeeper Mark Hardingham after eight minutes.

At the other end, big striker Harris shot wide from the edge of the penalty area after 12 minutes.

With half time approaching, the ball ran away from Harris when Stuart Williams played him through after 39 minutes and a fierce shot from Jon Turnball was charged down by Invicta defender Guest after 42 minutes.

As with Invicta's previous home game against Billericay one goal always looked like being decisive and again it was to be the Folkestone side who were to score it after the interval at the cricket end.

The visitors responded to Dryden's goal and put Invicta under pressure as Kessell made his wonder save and Harris then appealed in vain for handball when his shot hit a defender and went out for a corner when Burns pulled the ball back after 65 minutes.

A Dean Palmer shot deflected for a corner from the edge of the area after 81 minutes, whilst at the other end Dryden curled a shot at Hardingham after 87 minutes following a Stuart Myall throw from the right.

As the game went into stoppage time, Invicta's James Everitt was booked for a foul in a central position and Turnball poked his shot wide when Palmer's initial free kick was charged down.

Guest had earlier been booked for a fourth minute foul.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, J. Everitt, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, M. Everitt, Myall, Dryden, Jones, Norman. Unused subs: Glover, Dunlop, Neilson, Chandler, Mann.
EAST THURROCK UNITED: Hardingham, Williams (Cooper 76 mins), Harrison (Hayzelden 72 mins), Stanbrook, Palmer, Cole, Burns, Turnball, Harris, Boot, Holding. Unused subs: Grimes, Riley.

RM: 031005 Attendance: 251.

RM: 01.10.05 - Harrow Borough 5 - 0 Folkestone Invicta

Folkestone Invicta crashed to their heaviest defeat since joining the Ryman League when they went down 5-0 away to Harrow Borough at Earlsmead on Saturday afternoon.

Teenage substitute Jonathan Constant was the star of the day with a second half hat-trick as things went from bad to worse for Invicta after they had conceded two goals in the final five minutes of the first half.

Having won three games 1-0 in eight days, Invicta had hoped to have turned the corner after a slow start to the season, bit this result will have come as a bolt from the blue and set the alarm bells ringing again.

The Folkestone side had gone into the game without suspended centre half John Guest who had to sit out the game despite having his red card at Hampton overturned by the referee. With Kevin Watson not fully recovered from his thigh injury to come in as a straight replacement for Guest, the visitors reverted to a four-man defence.

An early injury to in-form defender Steve Norman was not to help Invicta's cause on what turned into a sorry afternoon.

On the plus side, Invicta welcomed back striker Paul Jones after four games out with a hamstring injury.

It had been an even opening to the game as striker James Dryden hit a free kick past the post for Invicta and goalkeeper Tony Kessell made saves from both Elliot Onochie and Daniel Blanchett at the other end.

Stuart Myall hit a fierce shot just over the crossbar for Invicta after 27 minutes following a corner and Jones shot against the top of the crossbar after 38 minutes.

Kessell saved from Victor Asombang and an Asombang cross then just eluded Onochie in a move started by James Bent.

It was ASOMBANG who opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when he found the net despite Kessell getting a hand to his shot as Ross Fitzsimon played the ball back in after his initial corner had been cleared.

Asombang soon had to leave the field with a leg injury and 17-year-old substitute Constant was to come on and make a name for himself.

Onochie was close with a header from a Fitzsimon free kick after the latter had himself been fouled from a Constant ball.

And BENT made it 2-0 during first half stoppage time when he converted a Constant cross after the youngster had broken down the right hand side and played the ball across.

Kessell was called into action again soon after the interval when Danny Leech combined with Constant.

And it was 3-0 in the 49th minute when CONSTANT was given on-side and ran through to score from a Marvin Neufville through ball which was dummied by Onochie.

Invicta replaced the injured Norman with substitute Joe Neilson, with captain Scott Lindsey dropping back to centre half.

But CONSTANT struck again in the 55th minute when Daniel Nielsen sent Onochie away to cross from the right.

Kessell temporarily denied Constant his hat-trick with a near post save and Fitzsimon shot past the post following a corner.

At the other end, Gary Ross got down to keep out a Dryden shot, the Harrow goalkeeper making his first appearance of the season in place of suspended regular Keita Karamoko.

Invicta gave a first senior outing to teenage substitute Ben Sly as a late replacement for Simon Glover.

Kessell did well to save from Leech following a Fitzsimon pass, but CONSTANT completed the scoring after 81 minutes when he curled the ball in following good work from fellow substitute Howard Newton.

Paul Lamb shot over as Invicta sought a consolation goal, but substitute Daniel McGonigle was over for Harrow late on when Constant turned provider.

Invicta's James Everitt was the game's only booking after 49 minutes on an afternoon when elder brother Micheal was making his 150th starting appearance for his hometown club.

HARROW BOROUGH: Ross, Nielsen, Blanchett, Walters, Neuville, Fitzsimon, Bent (McGonigle 77 mins), Leech, Onochie (Newton 66 mins), Asombang (Constant 45 mins), Lopez. Unused subs: Lamb, Nicholson.
FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, J. Everitt, Lamb, Flanagan, Norman (Neilson 52 mins), Lindsey, M. Everitt, Myall, Dryden, Glover (Sly 77 mins), Jones. Unused subs: Rainbow, Hurley.
RM: 021005 Attendance: 147.

End of Season/April 2005 Matches click here