Folkestone Invicta 1-4 Wealdstone

Folkestone Invicta’s Ryman Premier League season got off to a terrible start when they were comprehensively beaten 4-1 at home to Wealdstone at a sunny Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Invicta had approached the start of the new season in confident mood but were given a severe reality check as they were beaten on the opening day for the fourth successive year since switching from the Southern League to the Ryman League and for the seventh season out of the last eight.

Wealdstone themselves have been switched back to the Ryman League from the Southern League and had conceded five goals on their two previous visits to Folkestone.

But the visitors dominated Saturday’s encounter from the start to give themselves a dream start to the season.

To make matters worse for Invicta, they had James Everitt sent off for a second yellow card in the 88th minute.

Invicta gave league debuts to new signings Roland Edge, David Piper and Leigh Bremner and had goalkeeper David Hogan on loan from Dagenham & Redbridge in place of the injured Charlie Mitten.

Centre forward Ellis Remy’s absence with an ankle injury and Mark Saunders’ suspension denied Invicta an aerial presence against big opposition who were able to dictate the game.

Alan Massey got up to head at Hogan from a free kick on the left hand side after nine minutes.

And fellow centre half Marcus Gross headed wide when Luke Muldowney sent the game’s first corner over from the right hand side two minutes later.

Wealdstone were soon ahead though when Lee O’LEARY lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Hogan when the ball broke to him down the middle after centre half Samuel Kola Okikiolu attempted to intercept.

Invicta’s best and only real chance of the first half came after 20 minutes when visiting goalkeeper Mitch Swain saved from James Corbett on the right hand side of the penalty area after Damian Abel had played the ball into the box when Gross’ attempted clearance fell to him.

Wealdstone soon lost centre half Gross to injury but were able to take that potential blow in their stride.

Invicta would still have had hopes of saving the day at the start of the second half, but it was the visitors who were again soon on top and three goals within the opening 15 minutes after the interval put the result beyond doubt.

The warning signs were there when Chris O’Leary was just wide at the far post in the 47th minute when Massey met a corner from the right.

And the visitors did not have to wait long for their second goal as Lee CHAPPELL headed in after 49 minutes when he met Jomo Faal Thomas’ deep cross from the right with Hogan rooted to his line after Chris O’Leary had won the ball in midfield.

Wealdstone nearly increased their lead in the 55th minute when Massey played the ball through to Peter Dean down the left hand side of the penalty area, but this time Hogan got down to save.

A Massey header was cleared off the line following a corner from the right two minutes later.

And striker DEAN made it 3-0 in the 57th minute when he volleyed in substitute Fergus Moore’s cross from the right.

DEAN struck again with his second goal in three minutes to make it 4-0 after 58 minutes with a confident strike across goal into the far corner of the net from the left hand edge of the penalty area when centre forward Stephen Hughes headed the ball on.

The home side were then denied any sort of lifeline when Corbett shot just wide of the post when the ball broke to him in the middle after 68 minutes.

BREMNER though did mark his debut with a goal when he drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net across goal after striking partner Abel had touched a quick free kick to him following a foot up on the edge of the penalty area.

Wealdstone substitute Graeme Montgomery played another dangerous ball into the Invicta penalty area from the right hand side which big Hughes could not quite get on the end of in the 85th minute.

Invicta’s afternoon got worse when James Everitt was sent off for a second bookable offence following a late tackle which prompted a fracas between both sets of players on the touchline which also resulted in a yellow card for Wealdstone’s Moore.

The younger Everitt brother had earlier been booked for a 62nd minute challenge on goalkeeper Swain and had been on the receiving end of a bad Muldowney tackle which brought a 54 th minute booking for the Wealdstone player.

Wealdstone’s Hughes and Massey were also booked after 32 and 60 minutes respectively.

Bremner hit an overhead kick just wide for Invicta in stoppage time when Corbett played the ball in from the right in a move started by Kevin Watson.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Hogan, Piper, Edge, Watson, Friend, Okikiolu, J. Everitt, Briggs, Abel, Bremner, Corbett.  Unused subs: Burchell, Chappell, Stonebridge.

WEALDSTONE: Swain, Thomas, Chappell, Massey, Gross (Moore 31 mins), Hall, L. O’Leary (Ashe 67 mins), C. O’Leary, Hughes, Dean, Muldowney (Montgomery 75 mins).  Unused subs: Cooper, DeLisser,