Folkestone Invicta 0-3 Ramsgate

Folkestone Invicta suffered a second successive disappointingly heavy home defeat of the new Ryman Premier League season when they went down 3-0 at home to fellow Kent club Ramsgate at a sunny Buzzlines Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.

Any hopes Invicta had of building on their impressive win by the same scoreline at Harlow on Saturday were rocked as they again conceded an early home goal and left their supporters with little to cheer.

Invicta had comprehensively lost their opening day home fixture against Wealdstone and again struggled against big and strong opponents. The Folkestone side were once again brushed aside by Jim Ward’s Ramsgate side who have now all won three league fixtures between the two clubs over the past two seasons without conceding a goal.

Seven goals conceded in two home matches is clearly too many and after a week in which mistakes by even the England goalkeeper had been highlighted, Invicta custodian David Hogan came under the most criticism for this defeat.

Hogan – on loan from Dagenham and Redbridge due to an injury to Charlie Mitten – was clearly at fault for Ramsgate’s second goal and his reluctance to leave his goal line for crosses at least also contributed to the visitors’ first and last goals.

Invicta made one change to Saturday’s victorious line up as Ryan Briggs came in for the resting Roland Edge, with James Everitt switching to left back and Kevin Watson captain on his 100th starting appearance for the club.

But the home side were soon behind as BALL touched in Danny Hill’s cross from the left hand side in the sixth minute after a long throw in had been flicked on and not fully cleared.

For Invicta, Damian Abel broke down the right hand side but fired wide after eight minutes and for all the home side’s possession and often good approach play, Ramsgate always looked dangerous with their more direct approach.

Visiting defender Nick Davis headed away Watson’s ball in from the right after 23 minutes with striker Leigh Bremner waiting to pounce and Abel and Watson switched flanks before half time.

Ball demonstrated good skill for Ramsgate on the left hand edge of the penalty area after 52 minutes when his shot on the turn flew just over the crossbar, while James Corbett shot at goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson at the other end a minute later.

But Ramsgate increased their lead in the 55th minute following a free kick decision against Invicta right back David Piper. It was DAVIS who ultimately put the ball into the net when the subsequent set piece from the left was flapped at by Hogan and Lee Minshull struck the crossbar.

It left Invicta with a lot to do and they responded by bringing on centre forward Ellis Remy for Briggs.

Remy was soon involved as his strong but fair tackle left Ramsgate’s influential centre half Olly Schulz unable to continue.

But Ramsgate were close again in the 71st minute when Minshull headed over from close range after a Michael Phillipps corner on the right.

Invicta badly needed a goal to bring them back into the game but Remy could only shoot wide following a ball in from the left after 74 minutes and a Corbett shot from the left hand side of the penalty area was touched over the bar for a corner by Wilkerson when Abel played the ball across.

But another cross led to Ramsgate’s third goal in the 83rd minute when BALL struck again to touch a Phillipps cross from the right into the net from close range with Hogan again rooted to his line.

Invicta were denied any kind of consolation when Watson headed against the crossbar in the 89th minute following a corner from the right and how Ramsgate somehow managed to keep Liam Friend’s rebound from crossing the line typified the visitors’ dogged determination and commitment to their cause.

James Everitt then shot wide from substitute Ben Sly’s corner from the left during stoppage time.

The younger Everitt brother became the game’s only booking for a rash 85th minute challenge on Andy Hadden, ironic as the Invicta player had earlier himself been on the end of a couple of equally potentially damaging challenges.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Hogan, Piper, Briggs (Remy 56 mins), Watson, Friend, Chappell, J. Everitt, M. Everitt, Abel, Bremner (Sly 70 mins), Corbett.  Unused subs: Edge, Saunders, Stonebridge.

RAMSGATE: Wilkerson, Vallance, Hill (Tanner 82 mins), Davis, O. Schulz (Graham 63 mins), Hadden, Burton, W. Schulz (Pettit 90 mins), Minshull, Ball, Phillips.  Unused subs: Vahid, Laslett.