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A 55th minute goal from Jacob Arnold-Smith gave Folkestone Invicta all three points in Easter Monday’s derby match against fellow East Kent club Ashford Town in front of a season’s best crowd of 562 at the Buzzlines Stadium.

18-year-old striker ARNOLD-SMITH hit a great finish across goal and into the far corner of the net when Jimmy Jackson found him on the right hand side of the penalty area in a move also involving captain James Dryden.

It was Gillingham youth team player Arnold-Smith’s fourth goal in six appearances for Invicta and his first at the Buzzlines Stadium.

The striker had been in the wars during the first half when he suffered a nosebleed and it was a case of the walking wounded for Invicta as left back Josh Burchell required treatment for a second half head injury and centre half Liam Dickson sported the bandage he needed after sustaining a head injury at Dulwich on Saturday.

The win completed a good Easter weekend for Invicta after their 0-0 draw at Dulwich, whilst Ashford had a barren weekend after going down 5-1 at home to Corinthian-Casuals on Saturday.

A second clean sheet in three days leaves Invicta with the second best defensive record in the Ryman League Division One South so far this season. Only fourth-placed Fleet Town have conceded fewer goals and Invicta travel to Hampshire to meet them in their final away match of the season this coming weekend. Perhaps it is no surprise that Invicta drew 0-0 at home to Fleet back in December.

Invicta kept the same starting line up which had played at Dulwich in a game played amid sunshine after pre-match fog had cleared away.

Ashford made a purposeful start as Danny Lye hit a fifth minute shot at home goalkeeper Jack Delo from the edge of the penalty area after a Tony Browne ball.

At the other end, a 12th minute Jackson shot from just outside the box was deflected for a corner.

Dryden missed a good chance to open the scoring in the 21st minute when he lobbed over the crossbar after a ball over the middle of the Ashford defence.

Ashford defender Elloitt Brathwaite blocked a 35th minute Darren Smith shot as the ball broke inside the visitors’ penalty area.

And the home side were close again a minute later when brilliant play from Dryden saw Invicta’s record goalscorer tee himself up and volley just wide of the post.

Invicta goalkeeper Delo then made a good 39th minute save to deny Ashford’s Christmas match winner Lye when the ball broke to the midfielder on the left hand side of the penalty area.

Ashford goalkeeper Josh Willis made a great one-handed 44h minute save to touch a close range Jackson header round the post for a corner after Arnold-Smith had helped the ball on.

An overhead kick from centre half Frankie Chappell was then chested off the line from the subsequent ball in.

Invicta were edging nearer to a goal as goalkeeper Willis just about kept out Jackson’s close range volley when Burchell’s 50th minute throw in from the left was touched on.

Defender Dickson then shot over two minutes later when a Smith free kick from the left eventually fell to him.

And Arnold-Smith’s goal gave Invicta the breakthrough.

There was a scare at the other end in the 67th minute when Mitchell Sherwood put the ball wide from close range after a throw in from the right hand side.

Ashford centre half Sean Ray then headed at Delo two minutes later when Browne played the ball in from the right hand side.

For Invicta, Jackson fired wide from outside the penalty area in the 72nd minute after a stray clearance from the left hand side of the Ashford defence.

And Elliott Brathwaite blocked Dryden’s strong 82nd minute header after a Smith corner from the right in a move also involving Arnold-Smith and Jackson.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, Vincent, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, Smith, M. Everitt, Dryden, Arnold-Smith, Jackson. Unused subs: Radford, Driscoll, Swallow, Dix.

ASHFORD TOWN: Willis, Elford, D. Brathwaite, E. Brathwaite, Ray, Briggs, Browne, Lye, Wilkins, Jones, Sherwood (Glyde 74 mins). Unused subs: Bottle, Muguo, Smith, Barton.

Attendance: 562.