Chelmsford City 2-0 Folkestone Invicta

Folkestone Invicta's visit to free-scoring league leaders Chelmsford city ended in defeat but not disgrace in front of a 1067 crowd in Essex on Saturday afternoon.

After a poor run of eight matches without a win, a trip to ambitious Chelmsford would not have been top of Invicta's wanted list. Jeff King's highly skilful side have now won all eight home Ryman Premier League matches at the Sports & Athletics Centre so far this season and the visitors made the journey without much real hope or expectation.

But the Folkestone side did not cave in after conceding an early goal and now have the chance to re-group with a two-week break before returning to action at home to Hendon on Saturday December 1 st .

Chelmsford opened the scoring as early as the sixth minute when centre half Andy DUNCAN headed in a Stuart Ainsley corner from the right.

And striker James LAWSON made it 2-0 with a sweet 55 th minute finish from the right hand side of the penalty area into the far corner of the net when Ollie Berquez ran through the middle.

The final corner count of 12-0 in Chelmsford's favour emphasises that the destination of the three points was never in any real doubt and the Essex side will take some stopping in this season's championship race.

The home side signalled their intent within the first minute when the pacy Ricky Holmes shot wide from just outside the penalty area on the right hand side.

Duncan's opener did not open the floodgates, but the home side continued to look dangerous and Berquez burst into the penalty area and shot into the side netting on the quarter of an hour mark in a move also involving Lee Protheroe, Jeff Minton, Holmes and Bertie Brayley.

And Invicta goalkeeper Charlie Mitten had to make a one-handed save to tip Berquez's 18 th minute header over the crossbar from an Ainsley cross on the right when the home side seemed set to score again.

Chelmsford were dangerous at set pieces and Ainsley sent in another tricky corner from the right after 27 minutes.

A Berquez shot was deflected wide for a corner on the half hour when he surged through the middle following a Chris Duffy ball.

Invicta's only real chance of the first half came when Chelmsford goalkeeper Danny Gay came out to save from Mark Saunders when the visitors' player-coach got into the box after playing a one-two.

Chelmsford began the second half with a succession of corners, while at the other end centre forward Ellis Remy shot high and wide from the right hand side after 52 minutes.

But Lawson's goal two minutes later doubled the home side's lead.

Holmes whipped in a dangerous cross from the left after 56 minutes, while Duncan had to clear at the other end eight minutes later when James Everitt headed the ball down at the far post.

Remy blasted wide from the edge of the penalty area after 73 minutes, but Mitten had to make a great save three minutes later to deny Minton when a Protheroe corner from the left came back out.

And centre half Liam Friend – one of three teenagers at the heart of the Invicta defence alongside Frankie Chappell and Tom Bryant – made a great block to thwart Holmes in the 87 th minute when Brayley touched the ball into his path.

There were bookings for Chelmsford's Ainsley and Invicta's Saunders.

CHELMSFORD CITY : Gay, Protheroe, Duffy, Duncan, Ward, Berquez, Ainsley, Minton, Lawson (Knight 81 mins), Brayley, Holmes (Noto 90 imns). Unused subs : Collins, Palmer, Harrison.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA : Mitten, Watson, Edge (Sly 87 mins), Chappell, Friend, Bryant, M. Everitt, J. Everitt, Remy, Corbett (Guiver 76 mins), Saunders (Abel 67 mins). Unused sub : Stonebridge.