Folkestone Invicta moved up to third place in the Ryman League Division One South table with a 1-0 win away to Sittingbourne at Bourne Park on Tuesday night.

Top goalscorer James DRYDEN (below) was credited with the only goal of the game in the 77th minute as he headed the ball back towards goal after James Everitt had headed against the crossbar following a corner on the right. Andy Pugh was also involved on the goal line as goalkeeper Rob French attempted to keep the ball out.

The visitors had earlier had a ‘goal’ disallowed by an assistant referee’s flag in the 62nd minute when Pugh put the ball over the line after Dryden had met a Lee Gledhill cross from the right.

Invicta had kept the same starting line up for a third successive game and started the better as Dryden headed a Gledhill cross from the right wide after five minutes.

A Pugh shot was blocked in the 12th minute after a move involving James Corbett and Jimmy Jackson down the right hand side. And Dryden was unable to force the ball in from close range on the quarter of an hour mark when Pugh meet a deep Jackson free kick from the left at the far post.

Pugh then shot just wide from outside the penalty area in the 19th minute after collecting the ball from defender Liam Friend.

At the other end, Friend got across to clear from striker Elie Kayembe in the 23rd minute when Hicham Akhazzan slipped the ball through and Kayembe did not make the most of his chance three minutes later.

Kayembe blasted high and wide again in the 53rd minute following a good ball from Colin Richmond, while Dryden missed in similar fashion at the other end a minute later when Friend picked him out.

Sittingbourne’s best chance of the game came in the 59th minute when Kayembe headed against the post from a Billy Manners cross after the home side’s only corner of the game was played back in.

Invictya though threatened as a defender got back to make a saving 64th minute tackle on Dryden and Pugh headed at French five minutes later when Jackson played the ball to Mark Green.

Following the Invicta goal, Dryden hit a low shot at French when he ran at the home defence after being picked out by striking partner Pugh.

And Pugh himself was denied in the 86th minute when he a defender got back to clear off the line after the striker had gone round the goalkeeper when he latched onto a Micheal Eveirtt through ball.

SITTINGBOURNE: French, Andrews, Duff, Varley, Manners, Richmond, Milton, Gradley, Kayembe, Reeves, Akhazzan. Unused subs: Ozresberoglu, Baker, Thomson, Horlock, Williams.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten, Gledhill, Green, Friend, Bourne, M. Everitt, Corbett (J. Everitt 35 mins), Pugh, Dryden, Humphrey, Jackson. Unused subs: Walker, Dickson, Burchell, Jevons.

Attendance: 277