Folkestone Invicta were beaten 2-1 away to Burgess Hill Town on Saturday afternoon and finished the game with nine men as both Kieran Byrne and Frankie Chappell were sent off for receiving two yellow cards.

Invicta had trailed 2-0 before captain James Dryden pulled a goal back with a late penalty on his 300th starting appearance for the club.

Burgess Hill opened the scoring in the 37th minute at Leylands Park when visiting goalkeeper Jack Delo got a touch but could not keep out a Lloyd COTTON shot after James Everitt had conceded possession to Mark Pulling.

Captain Steve HARPER then increased the home side’s lead in the 54th minute when he headed in substitute Phil Elkins’ cross from the right hand side.

Invicta striker Kieran Byrne was sent off in the 78th minute for alleged diving after going down under challenge from home player-manager Jamie Howell inside the penalty area.

Byrne had earlier been booked for a reckless 44th minute challenge on Cotton.

DRYDEN pulled a goal back for Invicta when the Folkestone side were awarded an 87th minute penalty as Cotton was booked for his challenge on Micheal Everitt.

But there was to be no way back for Invicta and the visitors had centre half Chappell sent off during stoppage time for a challenge on Elkins.

Chappell had earlier been booked in the 69th minute for bringing down Harper.

There had been an early flashpoint in the ninth minute when Dryden was penalised for jumping with goalkeeper Craig Stoner.

At the other end, Harper shot wastefully wide from the left hand side of the penalty area in the 11th minute and the home side won the game’s first corner a minute later when Ben Johnson broke down the left and crossed just in front of Cotton in the middle.

The home side were in the wars during the first half as they lost first Dan Beck and then Johnson who had to be stretchered off with what appeared to be a nasty injury on the touchline near the dugouts.

An overhit back pass from substitute Justin Gregory threatened to let Byrne in after 33 minutes and the Invicta striker appeared to be impeded by goalkeeper Stoner in a move also involving Darren Smith and Dryden.

But it was Burgess Hill who opened the scoring.

Dryden then headed at goalkeeper Stoner during first half stoppage time after a James Everitt ball in from the right.

There was still time for Burgess Hill’s Harper and Howell to be booked before half time.

The home side started the second half strongly as Invicta centre half Liam Dickson headed out for a corner when Jon Lansdale headed towards goal and Harper broke down the left and whipped in a cross just in front of Elkins in the middle.

Lansdale was then guilty of a glaring 53rd minute miss when Cotton shot across goal from the right hand side of the penalty area.

But Harper was to make it 2-0 a minute later.

Nick Fogden headed wide from a 59th minute Pulling free kick on the right, while at the other end a Jimmy Jackson free kick was headed over by James Everitt four minutes later.

Lansdale headed at Delo in the 66th minute from a Pulling cross on the right after Harper had run at the Invicta defence and Elkins headed wide seven minutes later when Lansdale played the ball out wide to Pulling on the right.

Puling himself shot wide with a speculative 90th minute strike as the ball came back out with Delo off his line.

BURGESS HILL TOWN: Stoner, Pulling, Piper, Lansdale, Gainsford, Fogden, Harper, Cotton, Howell, Beck (Elkins 19 mins), Johnson (Gregory 28 mins). Unused subs: Carr, Ingham, Hunwick.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, J. Everitt (Neilson 62 mins), Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, M. Everitt, Byrne, Dryden, Smith, Jackson. Unused subs: Swallow, Dix.

Attendance: 196.