A 90th minute header from centre half Frankie Chappell gave Folkestone Invicta all three points against ten-men Whyteleafe at the Buzzlines Stadium on Tuesday night.

20-year-old centre half CHAPPELL, currently on loan back at the club from Welling United, did well to rise and get enough power on his header to direct it into the net after James Everitt played the ball in from the right.

Invicta had opened the scoring through captain James Dryden just before half time, but the visitors equalised midway through the second half courtesy of Andrew Martin.

Whyteleafe then had Robert Smith sent off in the 73rd minute when he received a second yellow card for a foul on Kieran Byrne.

Smith had earlier been booked in the 36th minute for catching Jimmy Jackson with his arm.

Invicta went into the game with the same starting eleven which had begun their previous four matches as they looked to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat at Burgess Hill.

But it was to be an uncomfortable start for the home side as both Chappell (foul on Richard Dimmock) and Byrne (foul on Mark Hammond) were booked within the opening quarter of an hour. The two players had both been sent off for two yellow cards on Saturday.

Dryden headed over a Josh Burchell cross from the left, but chances were few and far between in the opening exchanges.

Invicta’s first corner of the game produced the best chance thus far in the 35th minute when Darren Smith’s ball in was met by a James Everitt header which was kept out by goalkeeper Rob O’Hara.

At the other end, the much-travelled Dimmock shot just wide on the turn from the edge of the penalty area in the 39th minute.

A 41st minute Chappell volley dipped just over the crossbar when Dryden nodded a James Everitt cross into his path.

And Invicta broke the deadlock in the 45th minute when DRYDEN rifled his shot home after being put through by striking partner Byrne.

There was still time for Byrne to head at goalkeeper O’Hara from a Burchell cross on the left before half time.

Whyteleafe thought that they had equalised in the 48th minute when a ball in from the right hand side was converted from close range, but the ‘goal’ was ruled out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ryan Gray was booked for his protests.

And Gray was fortunate to stay on the pitch four minutes later when his bad foul on Byrne somehow escaped a second yellow. Dryden headed at goalkeeper O’Hara from Jackson’s subsequent free kick.

The game had now opened up as a 63rd minute Gray cross was headed wide by Dimmock for Whyteleafe and Dryden shot at O’Hara after combining with Byrne three minutes later.

But Whyteleafe were level in the 69th minute when a free kick from the right was headed on and headed in by MARTIN.

Whyteleafe’s Ellis Conroy was booked for bringing Burchell down in the 71st minute as the left back latched onto a Jackson ball. O’Hara then produced an excellent save to deny Liam Dickson from the subsequent free kick.

Following Smith’s dismissal, Whyteleafe’s Alhajie Jabbie became the game’s final booking for taking too long over a throw in.

Invicta pressed for a winner as a close range Dryden shot was saved by O’Hara in the 79th minute and a Liam Friend shot flew just over from 25 yards two minutes later.

At the other end, Jabbie attempted to lob Jack Delo following a Hammond ball forward in the 83rd minute.

But Chappell’s late header was to end the game on a high for the home side.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, J. Everitt, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, M. Everitt, Byrne (Neilson 90 mins), Dryden, Smith, Jackson. Unused subs: Vincent, Driscoll Swallow, Egan.

WHYTELEAFE: O’Hara, Hudson, Hammond, Jabbie, Gray, Conroy, MacLean, Dimmock (Aldous 78 mins), Martin, Reeve, Smith. Unused sub: Massey.

Attendance: 117.