Folkestone Invicta were beaten 3-1 away to Hastings United in Saturday's pre-season friendly at the Pilot Field.

Neil Cugley's side trailed 2-0 at half time but threatened to turn the game around when James Dryden pulled a goal back during the second half, but the home side sealed victory through substitute Frankie Sawyer.

Hastings opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Scott RAMSAY drilled his penalty down the middle past goalkeeper Charlie Mitten. The spot kick had been awarded for handball after Chris Greatwich had shot over the crossbar when Marc Whiteman nodded the ball on.

Centre half Nathan RUSSELL made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when he converted Greatwich's cross from the left following a corner won when Mitten got fingertips on a Sam Crabb cross from the right after Ramsay had played the ball out wide.

DRYDEN reduced the deficit in the 59th minute when Micheal Everitt (right) played a good ball out left to him and the striker the dinked the ball over goalkeeper Chris May and into the far corner of the net.

But SAWYER restored Hastings' two-goal advantage when he finished confidently after right back Danny Spice had played the ball forward in the 80th minute.

Sawyer had grabbed the headlines on Easter Monday when he tormented Invicta with a late eight-minute hat-trick as the Sussex club won 6-1 to leapfrog the Folkestone side and send them a step nearer to relegation from the Ryman Premier League.

Invicta gave a first start to Billy Swallow at left back after the youngster had come on as a substitute against Tunbridge Wells and then scored for the reserves in a 1-1 midweek draw at Canterbury City.

The visitors were close in the tenth minute when strikers Dryden and Wilkins both had shots blocked by a defender after new captain Lee Gledhill played the ball in from the right.

At the other end, a deep cross from Greatwich was touched just wide at the far post by former Eastbourne Borough and Dover Athletic striker Ramsay on the quarter of an hour mark.

In between Hastings' two first half goals, Mitten got down to save from Greatwich when Ramsay slipped the ball through.

Invicta had chances in the run up to half time as Russell slid to intercept when a James Everitt ball was allowed to get through to Wilkins and he attempted to square the ball across to striking partner Dryden.

Dryden then headed wide at the far post when James Everitt (left) played the ball out to Gledhill on the right and Russell just did enough to prevent James Corbett from converting a Dryden ball in a move started by James Everitt.

Spice headed clear from close to the Hastings goal line in the 43rd minute to keep out a Corbett shot after another James Everitt ball and a Dryden shot was charged down by Russell following a Corbett ball during first half stoppage time.

Invicta brought both Jimmy Jackson and Byron Walker on at half time and got themselves back into the game with Dryden's goal.

Hastings goalkeeper May then twice saved from goalscorer Dryden around the hour mark.

Sawyer could not quite up high enough to convert Crabb's 72nd minute cross from the right when substitute Jack Dixon played the ball out wide.

But Sawyer was soon to score and end Invicta's resistance.

Invicta substitute Lee Spiller headed wide in the 88th minute when Gledhill played another ball in from the right.

HASTINGS UNITED: May (Kusku 82 mins), Spice (Radley 82 mins), Cody (Miltiadou 58 mins), Whyborne, Russell, Franklin (Dixon 68 mins), Crabbb, MacLean (Marshall 58 mins), Ramsay, Whiteman (Sawyer 58 mins), Greatwich.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA : Mitten (Jevrons 58 mins), Gledhill, Swallow (Jackson 45 mins), Friend, Bourne, J. Everitt (Walker 45 mins), M. Everitt (Spiller 66 mins), Corbett (Dickson 82 mins), Dryden, Wilkins, Humphrey.

Attendance: 215