Folkestone Invicta 2-6 Bromley 

Folkestone Invicta were on the receiving end of a 6-2 drubbing in Saturday’s Sid Burvill Cup match against Bromley at the Buzzlines Stadium after going 2-0 down inside the opening five minutes and then missing a penalty a minute later.

Bromley were promoted from the Ryman Premier League last season and on this evidence look as though they will go on to more than hold their own in the Blue Square (formerly Conference) South this season.

Invicta started with new striker Leigh Bremner, formerly with Cray Wanderers and Dulwich Hamlet.

But it was the visitors were to catch Invicta cold as their new striker Danny HOCKTON headed home Simon Osborn’s free kick from the right in off the post despite goalkeeper Charlie Mitten’s attempts to save after just two minutes.

And Hockton’s striking partner Garath McCLEARY made it 2-0 when he touched the ball in at the far post following a corner from the left hand side in the fifth minute.

Invicta were soon thrown a potential lifeline when they were awarded a penalty for handball after a corner on the right. But Ellis Remy’s spot kick was saved by Bromley goalkeeper Andy Walker.

Just when Invicta thought they had endured the worst possible start, goalkeeper Mitten then limped off after 12 minutes.

And Bromley left back Sam WOOD took the ball on and fired past substitute goalkeeper Luke Stonebridge from outside the penalty area to make it 3-0 after 18 minutes.

The visitors were close to extending their lead even further seven minutes later when the unmarked McCleary turned Osborn’s free kick from the right hand side just wide of the post after he himself had been fouled by centre half Roy Guiver.

Wood tried his luck again from outside the penalty area in the 27th minute but this time Stonebridge got down to save.

It was all Bromley as a Hockton shot was deflected off Samuel Kola Okikilolu to Stonebridge in the 32nd minute when McCleary played the ball back after Osborn hit the ball over the Invicta defence.

Invicta responded as Remy sidefooted his shot at Walker following a James Corbett touch and the pair combined again after 39 minutes when Corbett played the ball across from the right to Remy on the left hand side of the penalty area, but Walker came out to save.

The home side were awarded their second penalty of the game within a minute of the second half for a foul on Iliyan Pamukov and this time CORBETT stepped up to make it 3-1.

Bromley may have taken off last season’s Ryman Premier League top goalscorer Hockton but they had a ready made replacement in Gareth Williams who was to hit a second half hat-trick.

WILLIAMS made it 4-1 in the 56th minute when he blasted the ball into the net after McCleary played the ball back to him having gone round goalkeeper Stonebridge who had saved his initial effort. Williams had put McCleary in with a clever backheel in a move started by Peter Adeniyi.

CORBETT pulled another goal back three minutes later from the left hand edge of the penalty area in a move also involving Bremner and substitute Damian Abel as the goals began to flow at the start of the second half.

Bromley though remained dangerous and Invicta defender Okikiolu made a vital close range block at the expense of a corner after 63 minutes when right back Mark Corneille put a dangerous ball in to substitute Barry Moore.

WILLIAMS then made it 5-2 with another good finish from the edge of the penalty area after 73 minutes.

Abel shot over for Invicta after 87 minutes after making room for himself on the edge of the box in a move also involving substitutes Martin Chandler and Dave Cook.

But the second half belonged to WILLIAMS who completed the scoring in the 89th minute when he thumped in a powerful strike off the crossbar from the right hand side of the penalty area.

This was the first time which Invicta had lost their annual Sid Burvill Cup match since it was first played in memory of the club’s former gateman during the summer of 2000.

But even though Bromley were presented with the cup by Sid’s son Bernie, it will be staying at the Buzzlines Stadium!

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten (Stonebridge 12 mins), Piper (Chandler 76 mins), Glyde (Sly 70 mins), Friend, Guiver (Chappell 45 mins), Okikiolu, M. Everitt (Cook 76 mins), Pamukov (Briggs 61 mins), Remy (Abel 45 mins), Bremner (J. Everitt 65 mins), Corbett.

BROMLEY: Walker, Corneille, Wood, Bowry, Duku, Henriques, Adeniyi, Glover, McCleary, Hockton, Osborn.   Subs: Harris, Moore, Quinton, Clark, Williams, Francis.