Folkestone Invicta and Chatham Town will have to do it again after a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s F. A. Trophy Preliminary Round tie at a wet and windy Buzzlines Stadium.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 28th minute when Invicta centre half Liam FRIEND (below) sliced the ball into his own net following a Darren Smith free kick.

But Invicta levelled in the 52nd minute when Jimmy JACKSON slotted the ball in from close range after a Friend cross from the left was nodded down by James Everitt.

The windy conditions were always likely to affect the game and so it proved.

Invicta brought Craig Wilkins in for his first start since a knee operation following his summer move from Dover Athletic. Wilkins came in for Lee Spiller, who is himself now about to have a knee op.

Chances were few and far between during the opening exchanges, though Everitt did have the ball in the net after 17 minutes, only for the ‘goal’ to be ruled out by an assistant referee’s flag.

And it was Chatham who broke the deadlock from the subsequent free kick after Invicta centre half matt Bounre was booked for bringing down Mark Brookes.

Invicta responded as Wilkins curled a 36th minute shot over the crossbar from the right hand side of the penalty area and James Dryden hit a low shot wide seven minutes later.

One-time Invicta player Smith was at the centre of most of Chatham’s play and Invicta goalkeeper Charlie Mitten got down to save his toe-poked shot after 44 minutes.

Dryden shot at goalkeeper James Smith at the start of the second half, while at the other end Darren Smith hit a free kick at Mitten.

Jackson’s equaliser gave Invicta plenty of time to chase a winner and Dryden soon headed over when Jackson chipped the ball into the penalty area.

Dryden then shot at goalkeeper Smith again in the 56th minute.

But there was another scare for Invicta defender Friend in the 59th minute as goalkeeper Mitten (left) came to rescue to prevent a second own goal with a good save to keep out a deflected Lee Maskell shot when Brookes played the ball across from the right.

Smith shot over for Chatham from the edge of the box in the 62nd minute, while the visitors’ Richard Avery was booked for dissent after 69 minutes.

Invicta had some more defending to do after 72 minutes when Bourne fouled striker Justin Asheri on the right touchline and Wilkins headed Smith’s subsequent free kick past his own post.

As the windy and rainy conditions continued to play their part, Chatham goalkeeper Smith saved from Dryden after initially letting a Scott Lindsey cross slip from his grasp in the 75th minute.

Invicta threatened to a grab a winner during stoppage time as Everitt picked his spot but Smith saved and Dryden couldn’t force the rebound into the net after Friend played the ball in.

And Bourne toe-poked the ball just wide with the very last touch of the match.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten, Gledhill, Green, Friend, Bourne, Wilkins, Lindsey, J. Everitt, Dryden, Humphrey, Jackson. Unused subs: Corbett, Swallow, Burchell, Byrne, Conyers.

CHATHAM TOWN: J. Smith, Binks, Potter, Solly, Avery, Best, D. Smith, Brookes, Asheri, Maskell, Botterill. Unused sub: Lyons.

Attendance: 208.