AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Folkestone Invicta

Folkestone Invicta stretched their unbeaten run to ten matches when they held ambitious AFC Wimbledon to a goalless draw in front of a 2284 crowd at the Cherry Red Records Fans’ Stadium on Tuesday night.

This trip to Kingston is always one of the stiffest tests of the season and Invicta again showed their resilience with a fourth successive clean sheet to stay eighth in the Ryman Premier League table, one place ahead of their hosts.

New goalkeeper Charlie Mitten is yet to concede a goal for Invicta in three matches since returning from injury and celebrated his 33rd birthday with another calm and assured display.

There were scares along the way as Richard Butler shot against the underside of the crossbar in the 64 th minute and had the ball in the net after 88 minutes, only for the ‘goal’ to be ruled out for offside.

But Invicta could even have snatched victory as centre forward Ellis Remy headed wide at the far post in the 86th minute with a good chance when striking partner Leigh Bremner sent over an inviting cross from the left.

There has been a complete transformation in fortunes for Invicta since a 1-0 home defeat against Boreham Wood on September 1st and Neil Cugley’s side again proved themselves to be hard to beat.

The omens had not been good for Invicta as they were without injured former Gillingham pair Mark Saunders and James Corbett, with Ryan Briggs and Remy coming into the starting line up.

Big Antony Howard missed a good early chance for the home side at the far post when Tony Finn sent over the game’s first corner from the left hand side and the ball was touched on after three minutes.

There was an opening at the other end three minutes later when Remy nodded the ball on to Bremner as Invicta broke and the striker hit a low shot at goalkeeper Paul Seuke.

Finn took the ball down well when Butler nodded it on after seven minutes but Mitten got down to save the subsequent shot.

A fierce Steve Ferguson strike flashed across the Invicta goal when he cut in from the right hand side after ten minutes and Mark Beard could not get enough power on his shot to beat Mitten seven minutes later when a Finn ball was touched on down the right hand side by Michael Haswell.

But Invicta held on relatively untroubled for the remainder of the first half.

James Everitt had a shot blocked by a defender in a move also involving Briggs and Bremner after 51 minutes.

At the other end, striker Robin Shroot got on the end of Finn’s cross from the left two minutes later but Mitten again remained unruffled to save again.

The home side increased the pressure midway through the second half and struck the underside of the crossbar when a corner from the right caused problems in the Invicta goalmouth.

Jake Leberl and Rob Quinn both played good passes down the right hand side after 65 minutes to send Ferguson clear but he squared the ball across goal rather than shoot and the danger was gone.

Mitten saved a Shroot shot from the left hand side of the penalty area a minute later and Invicta centre half Liam Friend got across to clear a Finn cross from the left after 68 minutes.

Finn hit a free kick from a central position at Mitten after 78 minutes and Shroot got in behind the Invicta defence but fired wide across goal from the left hand side of the penalty area with a good late chance three minutes later.

Remy’s late header was Invicta’s best chance of extending their winning away run to seven successive matches.

But the visitors will have been pleased with their point as Mitten got down to save a low 89th minute Finn shot from the edge of the penalty area and an assistant referee’s flag came to their rescue when the follow up found the net.

Invicta’s Briggs was the game’s only booking for a 16th minute foul.

AFC WIMBLEDON: Seuke, Howard, Haswell, Quinn (Hatton 86 mins), Goodliffe, Leberl, Ferguson (Wardell 75 mins), Beard, Butler, Shroot, Finn.  Unused subs: Ransom, Salmon, Holmes.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten, Watson, Edge, Chappell, Friend, Okikiolu, M. Everitt, J. Everitt, Remy, Bremner, Briggs (Sly 90 mins).  Unused subs: Abel, Burchell, Saunders, Stonebridge.