A superb 64th minute equaliser from Kieran Byrne gave ten-men Folkestone Invicta a share of the spoils in their first visit to Godalming after Liam Friend was sent off early in the game on Tuesday night.

BYRNE struck with a powerful shot into the roof of the net when the ball came down via a defender’s hand after captain James Dryden had headed on a thrown in on the right from substitute Josh Vincent.

It was Byrne’s senior goal for the club in only his second starting appearance. The 23-year-old is one of the local players who has been given his chance in Invicta’s three consecutive away matches since four players left after the club’s cash crisis meant that the players were asked to play without wages for a month.

The point saw Invicta slip a place to fourth in the Ryman League Division One South table but still ahead of their fifth-placed Surrey-based hosts.

And the draw will have felt more akin to a victory under the circumstances at Wey Court following Friend’s early dismissal after 23 minutes.

20-year-old defender Friend was given a straight red card for raising his arm in retaliation on Glen Stanley after referee R Smith had consulted one of his assistants.

Stanley had been pulling at Friend’s shirt and the decision clearly incensed Invicta manager Neil Cugley as the free kick had initially been awarded to his side but was then given to Godalming in a dangerous position on the edge of the penalty area.

By then Invicta were already a goal down as Andy OTTLEY had opened the scoring for Godalming in the 21st minute with a great 25-yard-strike despite goalkeeper Charlie Mitten’s valiant attempts to save after Shaun Elliott had played the ball across.

Invicta had gone into the game with a 3-5-2 formation, with Liam Dickson back from his month’s loan spell at Herne Bay to partner Friend and Frankie Chappell in defence.

But the visitors had to re-adjust following Friend’s dismissal, with Josh Burchell dropping to left back, Dickson moving across to partner Chappell at the heart of the defence and player-coach Scott Lindsey slotting in at right back.

Dickson and Chappell were magnificent at the back for Invicta during the second half and goalkeeper Mitten made several important saves, although Godalming will feel that they had enough chances to have made the points safe.

The Surrey club are managed by former goalkeeper Chuck Martini, himself an Invicta legend after saving two penalties on his only appearance for the Folkestone club at Weymouth back in their Dr Martens League Premier Division days.

The home side made the better start as striker Shaun Lydon shot over on the turn in the sixth minute when a long throw in from the right eventually fell to him inside the box.

Mitten then made an excellent one-handed save to deny Brahim Eloumani on the quarter of an hour mark when Carl Hutchings was given on-side and squared the ball inside the penalty area.

Ottley’s goal and Friend’s dismissal were then to put Godalming firmly in the driving seat.

For Invicta, Dickson headed at Rodney Chiweshe from a Jimmy Jackson free kick and Dryden shot on the turn at the home goalkeeper when a Burchell free kick fell to him inside the penalty area.

At the other end, Invicta centre half Chappell got across to make a vital 33rd minute block when Elliott got past Lindsey down the left and closed in on goal. And Chappell made another block to deny Elliott again just a minute later, this time from a central position.

Invicta goalkeeper Mitten got the ball ahead of Eloumani to claim Ottley’s dangerous 39th minute cross from the right and Lydon headed over from close range two minutes later when Eloumani played the ball into the Invicta penalty area.

There was a further scare for Invicta during first half stoppage time as Mitten saved from Lydon when a good ball from Victor Kiri found Ottley on the right and Eloumani blasted the rebound wide.

The first half had finished with a flurry of bookings as Godalming’s Ottley and Stanley were both cautioned for kicking the ball away and were joined in referee Smith’s notebook by Invicta’s Micheal Everitt (bringing down Eloumani) and Tayler Thomas.

Invicta made a positive start to the second half and won their first corner of the game as home captain Richard Taylor cleared a Chappell cross when the defender got into the penalty area to meet a Burchell throw on the left.

Godalming’s Eloumani scuffed his shot wide with a good chance from the left hand side of the penalty area in the 54th minute. And Invicta had Everitt to thank for an excellent saving tackle three minutes later to thwart Ottley who closed in on goal after being given on-side.

Chappell then did well on the hour mark to clear Ottley’s cross from the right for a corner when Chris Wales got to the ball before Byrne and played it forward.d

But Byrne’s goal was to give the visitors a huge lift and renewed belief.

There was still some more defending to do though and Mitten saved Eloumani’s attempted 71st minute lob when the Godalming player was given on-side down the left hand side.

Stanley had been an irritant to the Invicta defence all night and was eventually substituted after 73 minutes when another tussle with the dogged Dickson saw him perilously close to being shown a second yellow card.

Dryden fired over from just outside the penalty area in the 82nd minute after a great break from Vincent who combined with Thomas.

But Mitten came to the visitors’ rescue again a minute later when he got down to make a great save from substitute Anil Azeem who had been given on-side to latch onto fellow substitute Garry Aulsberry’s ball through the middle.

There was one last chance for Invicta when Dryden forced an 87th minute corner with a looping header when Vincent played a great bal in from the right hand side.

GODALMING TOWN: Chiweshe, Wales, Elliott, Hutchings, Mariner, Taylor, Stanley (Azeem 73 mins), Kiri, Lydon (Aulsberry 57 mins), Eloumani, Ottley (Thompson 90 mins). Unused subs: Brightwell, Webb.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten, Thomas, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Lindsey (Vincent 63 mins), M. Everitt, Dickson, Dryden, Byrne, Jackson. Unused subs: Towse, Dix, Conyers.

Attendance: 110.