Folkestone Invicta 3-2 Billericay Town

Two second half goals from Mark Saunders gave Folkestone Invicta victory in a five-goal thriller against Billericay Town at the Buzzlines Stadium on Monday night.

Saunders headed home an 86th minute winner just 52 seconds after Joe Flack had equalised for a second time for the visitors.

The in-form Saunders has now scored four goals in Invicta’s last three matches to become the club’s leading goalscorer so far this season.

It was the first time Invicta have won at home this season and their first competitive win at the Buzzlines Stadium since beating Chelmsford City back on March 17th. 

Saunders had earlier put Invicta 2-1 up after Flack had cancelled out an Ellis Remy opener.

As against Harrow on Saturday, Invicta had taken an early lead through centre forward Remy and then missed several more first chances to increase their lead before being pegged back during the second half.

REMY opened the scoring in the sixth minute when he stabbed the ball in from close range at the second attempt following a Kevin Watson ball in from the right.

It was so nearly 2-0 after 12 minutes when James Everitt latched onto a great through ball from James Corbett and his shot looked like evading a defender’s desperate attempts to clear off the line but rolled agonisingly wide of the far post. Saunders was then close with an overhead kick from the subsequent corner on the right.

At the other end, big Rikki Bubridge headed at goalkeeper Kieron Mann from close range following a 19th minute Flack ball in from the left and Mann got down to touch a 30-yard Ryan Macwell strike round the post for a corner a minute later.

Corbett has gone close to scoring on several occasions for Invicta so far this season and can be a joy to watch. But the former Gillingham and Blackburn Rovers star has yet to open his account and had another great chance midway through the first half, but goalkeeper Billy McMahon came out to save when a defender failed to cut out a through ball down the middle.

James Everitt then volleyed over when he got on the end of Watson’s 40th minute cross from the right.

Billericay, though, posed a far greater threat during the second half as Invicta centre half Frankie Chappell blocked a Burbridge shot following a 60th minute ball from captain Jamie Dormer.

And FLACK found the net from close range to equalise when a Leon Hunter free kick was nodded down by Bradley Woods-Garness in the 63rd minute.

Corbett fired wide in the 71 st minute following a move involving both Remy and Watson before three goals in the final quarter of an hour gave the game an exciting finish.

McMahon saved following great play from Corbett down the left hand side in the 77th minute and James Everitt’s subsequent shot was blocked.

But Invicta restored their lead a minute later courtesy of an extremely well-struck shot from SAUNDERS on the edge of the penalty area after defender Samuel Kola Okikiolu had played the ball to him.

Billericay responded as an 80th minute free kick from the left was headed dangerously back across goal by Burbridge.

And FLACK made it 2-2 in the 85th minute when he turned in the penalty area and shot in off the post for his second goal of the night after substitute Wayne Semanshia had drilled the ball across goal.

Flack had also scored twice in an equally exciting 3-3 draw in last season’s corresponding fixture.

Invicta went forward again and McMahon got down to make a good save from Corbett in the 86th minute, but Invicta were not to be denied as SAUNDERS’ late header made it home-sweet-home at last.

There were bookings for Billericay’s Maxwell (21 minutes) and Danny Kerrigan (bringing down Remy as he threatened to break clear after 73 minutes).

The win takes Invicta above Billericay and up to eighth place in the table temporarily before Tuesday night’s games. Unthinkable after a home defeat against Boreham Wood on September 1st, but a run of 10 points out of the next 12 and an unbeaten run of six matches in all competitions has changed all that.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mann, Watson, Edge, Chappell, Friend, Okikiolu, M. Everitt, Saunders, Remy (Abel 83 mins), J. Everitt, Corbett.  Unused subs: Burchell, Briggs, Sly, Stonebridge.

BILLERICAY TOWN: McMahon, McSweeney, Kerrigan (Semanshia 82 mins), Blewitt, Heffer, Dormer, Maxwell, Hunter, Flack, Woods-Garness, Burbridge.  Unused subs: Boot, Wareham, Samuel, Buckfield.