Folkestone Invicta suffered a second successive disappointing home defeat when they went down 2-0 in their first ever meeting with Merstham at a cold Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Invicta had been beaten 2-0 against lowly Crowborough in their previous home match before going to league leaders Kingstonian and gaining a creditable point.

These are turbulent times for Invicta both on and off the field and the Folkestone side have now won just two of their last 14 matches in the past couple of months.

Invicta had to make changes to the side which had done so well at Kingstonian as Liam Friend and Micheal Everitt were both suspended.

Mark Towse came into replace Friend at the heart of the five-man defence for his first Invicta start since appearing as an emergency goalkeeper at Hednesford on the final day of the 2002-03 season.

Player-coach Scott Lindsey (right) came in for Everitt in the midfield holding role.

A sixth minute James Corbett shot was blocked by defender Chris Boulter as Invicta looked to make a positive start.

But it was Merstham who opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Mark SIMMONS struck from close range after the ball had pinballed around the Invicta penalty area.

Invicta’s Jimmy Jackson was booked for dissent as the home side appealed in vain for offside.

It was not the sort of start which Invicta had been looking for and they were under more pressure on the quarter of an hour mark when goalkeeper Charlie Mitten made a good one-handed save to keep out Kevin Lock’s close range header when Boulter headed on Merstham’s first corner of the game.

Striker Kwebena Agyei then shot at Mitten a minute later when he shrugged off defender Liam Dickson and closed in on goal.

At the other end, Josh Vincent shot over at the far post after a 20th minute ball in from the right hand side.

Invicta then had Dickson booked for shirt-pulling in the 27th minute.

There were chances at both ends in the 32nd minute as James Everitt shot into the side netting from the right hand side of the penalty area and Merstham’s Lock got through but Dickson chased back to thwart him.

Merstham’s Dean Gunner was harshly booked for handball after Josh Burchell’s 34th minute ball in from the left and visiting captain Craig Vernon joined him in referee Lee Venamore’s notebook for dissent.

Agyei was just unable to get on the end of Rob Hill’s 44th minute cross from the left and James Hancock broke down the right hand byeline a minute later but Mitten intercepted his subsequent cross.

Invicta had a clear chance at the start of the second half when Vincent headed over a deep Jackson cross on the left.

And the home side were a goal down a minute later when AGYEI latched onto a weak headed back pass from Towse and hit a well-executed lob over Mitten.

It was end to end again in the 52nd minute as Vernon got back to deny Vincent when Frankie Chappell and Corbett combined to send him away inside the penalty area, while Mitten did well to grab the ball from Lock when a mistake by Everitt let the Merstham striker in.

Agyei got in behind Chappell in the 62nd minute and played the ball to fellow striker Lock but Mitten saved to keep Invicta in the game.

Invicta threatened themselves but Matt Francis got back to take the ball off the advancing Everitt in the 64th minute and Dickson headed over Jackson’s subsequent corner from the right.

At the other end, Simmons blasted over from the right hand side of the penalty area when Agyei played the ball to him after he had dispossessed Towse.

Invicta gave themselves a lifeline in the 68th minute when centre half CHAPPELL pulled a goal back with a strong header into the roof of the net from a Jackson corner on the left.

The home side then piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.

Everitt headed a 74th minute Jackson free kick just over the crossbar after Agyei was adjudged to have fouled Dickson.

Boulter got back to clear from James Dryden at the expense of a corner following a big clearance from goalkeeper Mitten in the 77th minute and substitute Kieran Byrne couldn’t quite force the ball in at the far post following the subsequent corner on the right.

Chappell made a saving tackle to deny Agyei close to goal after 84 minutes when substitute Ross White got down the right hand side.

Invicta pressed on for an equaliser as an 89th minute Byrne header was headed out for a corner via the crossbar via a Merstham defender and Dryden headed at goalkeeper Ian Chatfield a minute later.

Vincent shot over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area deep into stoppage time.

And there was still time for a cross from Merstham substitute Chris Kennady on the left to bounce off the Invicta crossbar.

There was a first appearance on the Invicta substitutes’ bench (unused) for teenage striker Jon Driscoll, who has recently made a goalscoring start after stepping up into the reserves from the youth team.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten, J. Everitt, Burchell, Towse, Chappell, Dickson, Lindsey (Byrne 55 mins), Corbett, Dryden, Vincent, Jackson. Unused subs: Thomas, Driscoll, Rainbow, Conyers.

MERSTHAM: Chatfield, Gunner, Hill, Boulter, Vernon, Nyang, Francis (Kennady 87 mins), Simmons, Agyei, Lock (White 77 mins), Hancock. Unused sub: Smith.

Attendance: 224.