A stoppage time goal from Josh Vincent gave Ryman League Division One South leaders Folkestone Invicta victory over fourth-placed Walton & Hersham, who had been reduced to ten men during the first half at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Right back VINCENT got forward to place the ball into the net after being put through by substitute Peter Williams to break the Swans' resistance.

It gave Vincent a third goal in three consecutive home matches and a fourth for the season to go with another clean sheet at the other end.

The visitors had Louis Clark given a straight red card for a comment made to referee Carl Brook in the 44 th minute.

Invicta have made a habit of scoring late winners this season. The Folkestone side had won with stoppage time goals in 1-0 wins against both Burgess Hill and Met Police and Josh Burchell had hit an 89 th minute winner to break the deadlock against Whitstable.

It was a bitter pill for the visitors to take and goalkeeper Delroy Preddie was booked after the final whistle, before a melee broke out close to the home bench.

Neil Cugley's side are now four points clear at the top of the table and unbeaten in 11 league games since their only defeat at home to Godalming.

Invicta had gone into the game with an unchanged starting eleven for a tenth successive match.

Home striker Simon Austin had joined Invicta following a spell with Walton & Hersham and had a couple of early chances as Preddie saved his speculative 25-yard strike. Preddie then touched another good Austin strike from the left hand side of the crossbar over the crossbar for the game's first corner after a ball from James Everitt.

It was a tight encounter, with the visitors' David Tarpey capitalising on a stray 33 rd minute back pass, but the striker was forced wide when he went round goalkeeper Jack Delo and a defender was able to clear.

Tarpey then hooked a 42 nd minute shot onto the crossbar after receiving the ball from Clark.

But Clark's dismissal two minutes later was to be the major talking point of the first half.

After a few minutes' delay, Invicta went close from the free kick that followed as Burchell shot across goal from the left hand side of the penalty area, with Austin stretching in an attempt to convert in the middle.

Invicta tried to make their numerical advantage count after the interval and visiting right back Ryan Adams got back to make a saving 50 th minute tackle on Burchell when James Everitt played the ball through into the penalty area.

At the other end, Tarpey broke down the right hand side in the 56 th minute and played a dangerous ball across the Invicta goal.

The home side went 4-4-2 as Burchell pushed up into midfield and Liam Friend moved across to left back.

The visitors remained a threat as the ball did not break for Craig Dunne in the 71 st minute and Tarpey had his shot blocked following a good ball in from the right.

A shot from substitute Jordan Cheadle then flashed just past the far post.

Darren Smith shot wide from close range for Invicta in the 72 nd minute when Williams crossed from the left hand side to Austin in the middle.

Invicta sent on record goalscorer James Dryden for his return after a recent spell injured on the sidelines, with Friend moving back into the heart of the defence as Liam Dickson was sacrificed.

Austin shot wide in the 77 th minute after a Dryden touch and Preddie came out to save from Williams a minute later when captain Micheal Everitt put the substitute through after combining with Austin.

Centre half Will Jenkins had done as much as anybody to keep Invicta at bay and got forward in the 85 th minute to hit a dipping 25-yard shot just wide.

Tarpey then blasted over three minutes later when Dunne set up the chance on the counter attack as the visitors had five forward players against Invicta's two defenders.

But it was Invicta who again found a late breakthrough as their remarkable run of success continued.

As well as Clark's dismissal, there were second half bookings for Walton & Hersham's captain Ryan Lake, strikers Tarper and Kevin Lock and for goalkeeper Preddie after the final whistle.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA : Delo, Vincent, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, M. Everitt, Smith, Dickson (Dryden 73 mins), J. Everitt (Williams 62 mins), Austin, Jackson. Unused subs : Thompson, Easton, Stonebridge.

WALTON & HERSHAM : Preddie, Adams, Lake, Clark, Jenkins, Brathwaite, Dunne, Barkley, Lock, Tarpey, O' Flaherty (Cheadle 57 mins). Unused subs : Olulode, Windegaard, Elverson, Murphy.

Attendance : 345.