Folkestone Invicta 0-1 Maidstone United

Folkestone Invicta were relegated from the Ryman Premier League after losing Saturday’s winner-takes-all final day decider against Maidstone United in front of a 1334 crowd at a sunny Buzzlines Stadium.

Visiting supporters turned up in large quantity and celebrated on the pitch after the game with their triumphant players after a 26th minute goal from Mo Takalobighashi kept Maidstone up and sent Invicta down on an afternoon when only victory would prove to be good enough for either side.

TAKALOBIGHASHI scored the all-important goal when he latched onto Aaron Lacy’s header forward and dinked the ball over advancing goalkeeper Luke Stonebridge and into the net.

The goal came seconds after Craig Roser had a half chance when Lacy whipped the ball inform the left.

The visitors had to survive nearly six minutes of stoppage time during which goalkeeper Pat Mullin had to touch a low Kevin Watson shot round the post for a corner, Roser headed off the line from Watson following a corner from the right and Invicta defender Liam Friend had a shot blocked by Marc Cleary right on the final whistle.

Invicta had been reduced to ten men when centre half Frankie Chappell was sent off for a second yellow card in the 89th minute after a heavy challenge on substitute Jacob Erskine by the corner flag.

Chappell had earlier been booked for bringing down Takalobighashi in the 65th minute.

As the big match got under way, a fourth minute ball in from Charlie Glyde just eluded Watson at the far post after an early Invicta corner on the right.

But it was an edgy opening 20 minutes without any clear chances at either end.

Maidstone did have the ball in the net in the 23rd minute when Takalobighashi headed in after Lee Shearer had nodded on a long Lacy throw from the right hand side, but the ‘goal’ was ruled out by an assistant referee’s flag.

Takalobighashi’s goal led to an Invicta response as Leigh Bremner fired wide with a good chance after 33 minutes when he got the benefit of a possible handball decision after Lloyd Blackman nodded on a Watson ball forward.

Invicta defender Samuel Kola Okikiolu was booked for a tug on striker Alex Tiesse in a central position right on the edge of the penalty area two minutes later after a Roser ball, but Ian Selley fired the free kick high and wide.

Maidstone goalkeeper Mullin then touched a Bremner shot over the crossbar following a positive 38th minute run from the Invicta striker after Ben Sly’s ball forward.

And a Blackman shot was blocked by Maidstone captain Ben Lewis three minutes later after a one-two with Chappell inside the penalty area as Invicta began to apply some pressure.

One-time Invicta centre half Shearer headed over a Selley corner after 42 minutes.

And Maidstone were close to increasing their lead in the 44th minute when Selley hit a spectacular 25-yard shot against the post after Sly had cleared following a dangerous Takalobighashi run into the box.

Invicta made a change at half time as young Liam Dickson replaced Okikiolu and the home side soon had penalty appeals for handball against Shearer waved away after a free kick on the right hand side of the penalty area.

Centre half Chappell then twice came to Invicta’s rescue as he cleared when Takalobighashi drilled in a low cross from the right after 49 minutes following a run by Nathan Paul.

And Chappell was there again to clear from under the crossbar for a corner five minutes later when Tiesse played the ball in after a move also involving Mark Saunders.

Invicta goalkeeper Stonebridge then did well to push a Takalobighashi shot over the crossbar in the 58th minute when Paul raced past Dickson and pulled the ball back to set up another clear chance.

Saunders then headed over from the subsequent corner on the right.

Invicta’s Chappell, James Corbett and Bremner were all booked midway through the second half as things were not going the way the home side needed.

Maidstone substitute Erskine shot inches wide of the far post when he turned inside the penalty area after 71 minutes.

Erskine was booked for encroachment at a free kick after 78 minutes and Tiesse joined him in referee Carl Brook’s notebook for simulation inside the penalty area during stoppage time.

But it was Maidstone who were left jubilant at the end to leave Invicta in despair.

Invicta actually finished second from bottom in the final table as Carshalton beat Tonbridge to avoid relegation and stay up ahead of both Boreham Wood and East Thurrock United on goal difference.

East Thurrock were relegated despite winning at Harlow and would have stayed up but for the point they had deducted for fielding an ineligible player against Harrow Borough back in December.