Folkestone Invicta 0-3 Carshalton Athletic

Folkestone Invicta were brought crashing back down to earth when they were beaten 3-0 by Carshalton Athletic at the Buzzlines Stadium in front of a 245 crowd on Monday night.

Following the euphoria of Saturday's home win over AFC Wimbledon in front of a big crowd, Invicta would have hoped to have turned something of a corner after four consecutive home wins.

But this was to be a very disappointing performance from the home side.

After defending heroically against Wimbledon at the weekend, Invicta this time struggled without the organisational skills of player-coach Mark Saunders and Samuel Kola Okikiolu (ill) and also lost goalkeeper Charlie Mitten to an early injury.

The home side brought the Everitt brothers back into the starting line up, with 25-year-old Micheal making his 250 th starting appearance for his hometown club.

And Invicta had early chances as left back Liam Friend got forward to whip in a dangerous cross and centre half Frankie Chappell shot wide in a goal mouth melee within the opening five minutes.

At the other end, a Barry Stevens shot from the right hand side flashed past the far post in the tenth minute.

Mitten was injured again when he got down to save a low Phil Ruggles shot when the ball was played through the middle and 19-year-old replacement Luke Stonebridge was called into the action.

Tony Quinton side-footed the ball wide for Carshalton after 21 minutes when it came in from the left hand side.

And it was QUINTON who opened the scoring in the 24 th minute when he touched in the rebound after Stonebridge had touched captain David Graves' header onto the crossbar.

Invicta responded as Friend headed at goalkeeper Aaron Howe from a Charlie Glyde free kick after 24 minutes, while at the other end a Rob Ursell shot was saved but not held by Stonebridge six minutes later.

Striker Leigh Bremner then fired high and wide for Invicta in the 43 rd minute following a good combination between Friend and Glyde.

Stonebridge made a great reflex save to deny Ruggles in the 51 st minute following a corner from the left, while Michael Johnson sent in a dangerous cross from the left just in front of Stevens in the middle two minutes later.

The closest Invicta came to a goal was when visiting goalkeeper Howe missed captain Kevin Watson's 58 th minute free kick, but Liam Harwood cleared off the line.

Stonebridge made another good save in the 64 th minute to touch a Ruggles shot round the post for a corner when Ursell played him through down the right.

And RUGGLES made it 2-0 in the 66 th minute when he shrugged off Bryant and then took full advantage when Chappell failed to clear after James Everitt had initially given the ball away in midfield.

It was 3-0 in the 72 nd minute when STEVENS put the ball over the advancing Stonebridge when Dean Carpenter played the ball through down the middle.

Carpenter himself then shot at Stonebridge from the edge of the penalty area after 73 minutes, while Invicta's Micheal Everitt shot over from just outside the box four minutes later.

A great 79 th minute ball from Quinton put Johnson clear down the left hand side and the latter poked his rebound wide after Stonebridge had done well to save his initial effort.

Substitute Damian Abel shot wide after running at the Carshalton defence in the 82 nd minute.

But the visitors were close again three minutes later when substitute Ben Wright missed a virtual open goal after a slip by Bryant before Chappell got in a saving tackle.

Glyde headed over an 86 th minute Abel cross as Invicta sought some kind of consolation and Howe saved from Bremner when a stoppage time free kick was flicked on.

But this was Carshalton's night and big substitute Wright was close again in the 89 th minute in a move started by Ursell.

There were bookings for Invicta's James Everitt, Chappell and Marvin Hamilton-Omole and for Carshalton's Stevens.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA : Mitten (Stonebridge 19 mins), Watson, Friend, Chappell, Bryant, J. Everitt, Glyde, M. Everitt, Bremner, Corbett, Hamilton-Omole (Abel 57 mins). Unused subs : Dickson, Saunders, Burchell.

CARSHALTON ATHLETIC : Howe, Cooper, Watts, Graves, Harwood, Carpenter, Stevens, Quinton, Ruggles (Wright 72 mins), Ursell, Johnson (Bridgeman 85 mins). Unused subs : Evans, Wheeler.