Folkestone Invicta 1-2 Gillingham

Striker Leigh Bremner rounded off a typically all-action performance with a late consolation goal for Folkestone Invicta and then agreed a one-year deal with the club after the game.

BREMNER - previously with Herne Bay, Cray Wanderers and Dulwich Hamlet and the son of Kevin, former Gillingham player and youth team manager – found the net for the first time in Invicta colours with a neat 80th minute header. The goal came about when the ball was played back in from the right hand side after James Everitt’s low drilled ball in had only been partially cleared.

Both sides’ plans had been disrupted due to the traffic chaos on the M20 on a rare Friday night match at the Buzzlines Stadium as some players arrived moments before or in some cases after kick off.

Taking charge of Gillingham on the night was new youth team manager Scott Fitzgerald, formerly manager at Brentford. And the full-time side dominated the first half and played some excellent football before Invicta rallied and gave it a real go during the second half.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 13th minute thanks to a Roy HILL free kick from just outside the penalty area which beat goalkeeper Luke Stonebridge and found the corner of the net following a foul on Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu.

Hill looked dangerous again five minutes later when he ran through the Invicta defence and shot just wide of the far post across goal from the left hand side of the penalty area.

Gillingham made some early substitutions as players arrived late, but Invicta were forced into an early change when centre half Roy Guiver sustained a facial injury and had to be replaced by former Gills youngster Frankie Chappell.

Craig Stone shot over from 25 yards for Gillingham after 19 minutes and Stone’s sidefooted shot from the edge of the penalty area was then saved by Stonebridge two minutes later after Charlie Howard had played the ball back from the right hand side.

A Tim Bryant header was touched over the crossbar by Stonebridge following a long throw from the left hand side by Marvin Hamilton after 21 minutes.

And Gillingham increased their lead in the 25th minute when Sean CLOHESSY unleashed a tremendous strike from out wide on the right hand side which sailed under the crossbar and into the far corner of the net.

It was all Gillingham as Louis Bell’s dangerous cross from the right flew just in front of Ndumbu-Nsungu in the middle.

Stonebridge did well to keep out an Andy Pugh header from a Clohessy cross and then saved another header from Hill’s subsequent corner from the right just before half time.

Invicta made four changes at half time and made a good start to the second half as Bremner burst through and shot against the corner in the 49th minute.

At the other end, Stone backheeled wide following a Pugh cross from the right.

A Bremner shot from outside the penalty area was saved by Trinidad and Tobago international goalkeeper Kelvin Jack after 52 minutes and Micheal Everitt shot over from 30 yards ten minutes later.

Stonebridge pushed over a Pugh shot from outside the box in the 64th minute.

But Bremner’s efforts were rewarded with a goal and the home side came close to a bizarre late equaliser when Bryant sliced his clearance out for a corner in the 88th minute.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Stonebridge, J. Everitt, Sly (Glyde 45 mins), Pamukov (Briggs 45 mins), Guiver (Chappell 18 mins), Friend, M. Everitt, Piper (Okikiolu 45 mins), Abel (Remy 45 mins), Bremner, Corbett (Chandler 72 mins).  Unused sub: Conyers.

GILLINGHAM: Jack, Clohessy, Wynter (trialist 19 mins), Bryant, Hamilton, Bell (Cumbers 75 mins), Cumbers (Stone 19 mins, trialist 70 mins), Howard (trialist 19 mins), Hill (Thomas 69 mins), Pugh, Ndumbu-Nsungu.  Unused sub: Kiely.