Horsham YMCA 1-4 Folkestone Invicta

Folkestone Invicta completed their pre-season programme with a 4-1 win over Horsham YMCA as left back Kevin Watson scored a hat-trick within the opening 24 minutes after James Corbett had opened the scoring as Neil Cugley’s side raced into an early 4-0 lead at a sunny Gorings Mead.

Invicta dominated the first half from the start as James Everitt was close at the far post as early as the fourth minute when the ball trickled back across goal following a Damian Abel cross from the right.

And CORBETT soon put Invicta ahead when he volleyed home at the far post in the seventh minute after Leigh Bremner’s cross from the left.

WATSON made it 2-0 three minutes later when he was there to tap the ball in after goalkeeper Chris May had saved from Abel in a move also involving David Piper and Corbett.

Another Abel shot was blocked by defender Lewis Joyce when the Invicta striker latched onto defender Dean Carden’s attempted headed back pass in the eleventh minute.

WATSON, captain on the day, made it 3-0 with a well-struck free kick from the edge of the penalty area after 15 minutes.

Bremner headed over with another chance in the 18th minute when Piper played the ball down to Abel on the right hand side.

WATSON completed an unlikely hat-trick for a rampant Invicta in the 24th minute when he struck again from just outside the penalty area after Abel touched the ball back to him.

There was some respite for the home side in the 28th minute when CARDEN converted a penalty after Invicta goalkeeper Paul Adu had impeded striker Steve Davies who did his best to stay on his feet and put the ball into the net.

Adu – who trains daily with Gillingham and who has also appeared pre-season for Dover Athletic – was making his first appearance for Invicta as new goalkeeper Charlie Mitten had to watch from the sidelines with a recurrence of his thigh injury.

All the game’s goals were to come inside the opening half hour on what was a very hot afternoon.

Davies headed wide at the far post in the 32nd minute after Andy Ohley’s cross from the left and Davies shot over from the right hand edge of the penalty area four minutes later.

Invicta lost striker Bremner to a groin injury before half time in what was a precautionary move as the Folkestone side prepare for their season’s opener at home to Wealdstone.

James Everitt fired at former Ramsgate goalkeeper May – who also had a spell on loan with Invicta last season – after 37 minutes when Corbett played the ball up to Abel on the left.

The second half was a far more even affair as the home side’s Jono Richardson somehow failed to find the net when he shot straight at Adu from virtually on the goal line in the 48th minute when Davies got on the end of a cross from the left.

Richardson was soon involved at the other end when he cleared off the line a minute later after an Ellis Remy shot had crept past goalkeeper May following a Micheal Everitt through ball.

Carden then fired over with a 25-yard strike for the Sussex side.

Abel then lobbed just wide of the far post from the left hand side of the penalty area after 56 minutes and Remy shot wide across goal following a James Everitt throw from the left a minute later.

May touched a Remy shot onto the post and out for a corner in the 59th minute when a Corbett through ball sent the centre forward clear down the middle.

Adu got up to beat Davies to the ball when centre half Frankie Chappell sliced a cross from the left after 66 minutes and one of the home side’s substitutes did not connect properly nine minutes later when Carden played the ball in from the left.

An Ohley shot was deflected for a corner in the 82nd minute when Chappell’s clearance was charged down.

A stretching Remy then the put the ball over from close range in the 87th minute when the overlapping Piper put in an inviting cross from the right after hat-trick man Watson had spread the play from the left hand side.

HORSHAM YMCA: May, Carden, Keaney, Richardson, Joyce, White, Taylor, Keehan, Greenfield, Davies, Ohley.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Adu (Stonebridge 70 mins), Piper, Watson, Okikiolu (Glyde 45 mins), Friend, Chappell, M. Everitt, J. Everitt, Abel, Bremner (Remy 31 mins), Corbett (Sly 70 mins).