Folkestone Invicta 2-1 Gillingham

James Dryden gave Folkestone Invicta fans a reminder of what they have been missing as he scored two first half goals to give Neil Cugley’s side a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Gillingham on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Invicta had not scored in their two previous away friendlies this summer but Dryden - the club’s record goalscorer and appearance holder – soon changed that on his re-appearance as an Invicta player at the Buzzlines Stadium.

DRYDEN opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he capitalised on a mix up between defender Tom Wynter and goalkeeper Chris Kiely to reach centre half Matt Bounre’s ball forward and find the net from the edge of the penalty area.

And it was DRYDEN who made it 2-0 in the 45th minute when he lobbed the ball into the net after defender Nick Humphrey had met a good ball in from lee Gledhill on the right.

Gillingham responded during the second half as they pulled a goal back through Tayler THOMAS and twice hit an upright.

Thomas scored in the 64th minute when he did well to find the net across goal from the right hand side of the penalty area after Danny Walder had played the ball across from the left hand side.

Goalscorer Thomas had earlier created space for himself and smashed the ball against the post in the 57th minute when Rory Hill played the ball across from left to right.

Invicta had goalkeeper Charlie Mitten to thank for an excellent one-handed save in the 65th minute when a ball over the defence put Delroy Facey through and the big striker seemed set to equalise.

Walder then hit a well-struck shot against the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area in the 70th minute.

Mitten had earlier come out to save with his feet in the 21st minute to deny Hill after a ball over the Invicta defence out the Gillingham player clear down the left hand side of the penalty area.

Walder’s 25th minute cross just eluded Charlie Howard in the middle, but Dryden was soon to put Invicta ahead.

Dryden then warmed the hands of Gillingham goalkeeper Kiely with a 25-yard free kick.

Stuart Thurgood’s 43rd minute free kick was headed wide by the unmarked Facey in the middle.

And Dryden’s goal just before half time put Invicta firmly in the driving seat.

Facey toe-poked the ball at Mitten in the opening minute of the second half.

But Invicta themselves remained a threat and a 53rd minute Craig Wilkins touch gave striking partner Dryden another chance, but his shot lacked power when on a hat-trick.

As Gillingham began to press forward, Facey burst through the middle but fired wide of the target in the 60th minute.

At the other end, Gillingham defender Liam Wybraniec cleared off the line to deny Kieron Byrne when the Invicta substitute got away close to the right hand side of the six yard box when Dryden touched the ball on.

Another Invicta substitute, Byron Walker, then tested Kiley two minutes later as the Gillingham goalkeeper got down to save at the expense of a corner after a move also involving Dryden and Byrne.

Gillingham substitute Chris Oyebanjo shot on the turn as the visitors chased an equaliser in the 80thminute.

With the first team playing a home friendly against Birmingham City, this was a young Gillingham side under former Invicta assistant-manager Mark Patterson, but any win over Kent’s only Football League club has proved elusive in recent summers for the Folkestone club.