Folkestone Invicta made it two wins out of two as they came back from being an early goal down to beat Chipstead 2-1 at the Buzzlines Stadium on Tuesday night thanks to goals from Andy Pugh and Jimmy Jackson in their first home match of the season.
Invicta played some good football and could have won by a greater margin but had to battle until the end to secure the three points.
JACKSON (right) hit what proved to be the winning goal within a minute of the second half with a great strike from outside the penalty area which caught a lot of the supporters by surprise as they came back out after half time.
It was Jackson’s first goal for Invicta since joining the club during the summer from Margate and the midfielder was one of the quality new signings who turned on the style for the home supporters.
Invicta had gone forward from the start as Worthing goalkeeper James Wastell came out to clear from James Dryden in the second minute and the home side then had penalty appeals waved away when Dryden went down under challenge from a defender after a ball in from captain Lee Gledhill.
And Chipstead rocked the home side by opening the scoring in the fifth minute when centre forward Darren WATSON headed in a Josh Smith cross from the right.
But Invicta were not behind for long as PUGH headed in Jackson’s tenth minute cross when the game’s first corner was played back out to the right hand side.
Invicta might have gone ahead in the 25th minute when a good chance went begging as Pugh attempted to go round goalkeeper Wastell when a ball from striking partner Dryden put him clean through.
- Andy Pugh's 10th-minute equaliser for Invicta -
The home side had another good chance in the 33rd minute when Wastell came out to save from James Corbett after another Dryden ball and Pugh blasted the rebound over the crossbar.
At the other end, Reis Aslan shot wide from the edge of the penalty area after a Watson ball.
Pugh fired a low 36th minute shot just wide of the far post across goal after latching onto a Gledhill ball in from the right.
Chipstead themselves had a couple of chances in the run up to half time as Watson couldn’t quite force the ball in from close range after a Neil John cross and Watson went down inside the box from Chris Head’s ball in from the left, but penalty appeals were turned down.
Jackson’s goal right at the start of the second half put Invicta ahead and both Nick Humphrey and Pugh then had shots charged down as the home side kept up the pressure.
Another well-struck Jackson 20-yard shot struck the crossbar on the hour mark and a spectacular Corbett (left) strike was blocked in the 64th minute.
A good 67th minute Gavin Quintyne strike from the edge of the penalty area was touched over the crossbar for a corner at the other end by goalkeeper Charlie Mitten.
Invicta were close again in the 75th minute when a Corbett shot was blocked close to the goal line by centre half Nathan Campbell after a good move involving Pugh, Gledhill and Dryden.
But Chipstead were still only one goal behind and a Richard Williams free kick was headed wide at the far post by substitute Fred Flemming.
Invicta left back Mark Green headed just wide in the 84th minute when Gledhill sent over a deep cross from the right hand side after Jackson had played the ball out wide.
Chipstead’s Aslan was the game’s only booking for a rash 62nd minute challenge by the touchline.
