Folkestone Invicta were beaten 3-1 at home to Ryman League Division One South leaders Cray Wanderers at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The south London side have now won six successive league games to establish a six-point lead at the top and established a 3-0 lead before Frankie Chappell pulled a late consolation goal back.

It was a repeat of the 3-1 scoreline with which Cray had won back in October in the first game Invicta played after several of their players had been forced to leave when news of their financial crisis broke.

Invicta had opened the scoring that night in Bromley but were always up against it against an experienced Cray side after the visitors had gone ahead midway through the first half on Saturday.

The home side made a couple of changes as Kieran Byrne returned to the attack in place of James Everitt (hamstring), although Byrne himself had to be replaced at half time with a recurrence of his knee injury.

Billy Swallow also came in for only his second starting appearance at left back in place of Josh Vincent (virus), with Josh Burchell moving forward into midfield and Micheal Everitt reverting to right back.

In the early exchanges, Cray striker Lewis Wood did not make the most of his eighth minute chance when he shot wide when the ball fell to him after Invicta goalkeeper Jack Delo had not held a Danny Chapman cross from the left.

At the other end, Burchell had the chance to shoot from the edge of the penalty area in the 12th minute, but elected to pass and the chance went after a ball forward from Everitt.

A shot from Cray left back Colin Luckett then hit the outside of the Invicta post.

And it was the visitors who struck first when a Jamie WOOD shot in the 27th minute crashed in off the underside of the crossbar when striking partner Leigh Bremner squared the ball across to him. The chance had come when Delo cleared the ball to Bremner after a wide back pass from Liam Friend had unsettled the Invicta goalkeeper.

It was Wood’s first goal of the season and means that the little striker – who once had a short-lived spell at Invicta – has now scored in 11 consecutive seasons for Cray.

Invicta responded as a Chappell ball put James Dryden clear in the penalty area in the 37th minute, but the home captain could not get the ball under control and a defender was able to get the ball back to goalkeeper Glen Knight.

Dryden then fired wide after a good touch from striking partner Byrne a minute later.

Cray threatened again right on half time but a Kinch header at the far post lacked power when Bremner touched on a Luckett cross from the left.

But KINCH struck early in the second half when he smashed the ball into the net from virtually on the goal line in the 47th minute when Lewis Wood put the ball goalwards over Delo when Bremner played the ball to him down the left hand side and the Invicta defence were looking for offside.

Cray were on top as Kinch shot wide from distance in the 52nd minute and one-time Invicta captain Chapman headed at Delo after a Jamie Wood corner on the right two minutes later.

Home centre half Liam Dickson got back to do enough to prevent Bremner, last season’s Invicta Player of the Year, from scoring in the 55th minute after Lewis Wood put the ball over Delo again towards goal.

Steve ARIS made it 3-0 in the 68th minute when he headed in a left wing cross from Jamie Wood who had combined with brother Lewis.

Dryden hit a 77th minute free kick just wide of the post and then couldn’t quite force the ball in from close range after a touch from substitute Jon Drsicoll inside the penalty area three minutes later.

And CHAPPELL pulled a goal back in the 88th minute when he headed in a Jimmy Jackson corner from the right hand side.

There were bookings for Invicta’s Everitt and Cray’s Luckett and Arron Day.

The game was played with a red football as part of the Ryman League’s stationery sponsor’s £500,000 fund-raising driving for Red Nose Day.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, Swallow (Neilson 68 mins), Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, M. Everitt, Byrne (Driscoll 45 mins), Dryden, Smith, Jackson. Unused sub: Garrity, Dix.

CRAY WANDERERS: Knight, Day (Morris 77 mins), Luckett, Chapman (Standen 71 mins), Willy, Aris, Kinch, Osborn, L. Wood, Bremner, J. Wood (Whitnell 74 mins). Unused subs: O’ Shea, Bradshaw.

Attendance: 282.