Folkestone Invicta's game away to Chatham Town was abandoned after 77 minutes on Tuesday night due to a horrific injury suffered by the home side's left back Mark Green at the Maidstone Road Sports Ground.

Green broke his right leg in three places and was clearly in considerable pain as he lay on the floor amid the heavy rain before being taken away in an ambulance heading for the Medway Maritime Hospital.

He was treated initially by a Rapid Response paramedic and eventually taken away in the ambulance nearly 40 minutes after the incident and even then there was still a problem in moving Green onto the stretcher.

Referee Andy Mead had initially taken the players off the pitch as they awaited the ambulance, but soon announced that the game had been abandoned.

Green (pictured, right, playing for Folkestone 16 months ago) was treated and comforted by a team of volunteers including Chatham physio Emma Turner, manager Alex O'Brien, goalkeeper Dean Ruddy, Invicta physio Dave Williams and assistant manager Micky Dix.

The Chatham player was due to undergo surgery at the hospital on Wednesday. He had previously battled back from a leg break in his Margate days.

Green made 17 appearances for Invicta at the start of last season before being forced to leave the Folkestone club due to drastic cuts in its wage bill in October 2008. He has also played for Dartford, Tonbridge Angels and Sittingbourne.

The injury had been caused after a collision with Invicta centre half Frankie Chappell close to the touchline.

Invicta defender Liam Dickson had earlier been stretchered off around the hour mark after a heavy challenge by Ray Powell but left the ground on his two feet.

The game had been only one of two Ryman League Division One South fixtures to start after the day's rain, but was to end in such disappointing circumstances.

Invicta had gone into the game with their first change after 11 successive matches, with James Dryden coming in for the unavailable Simon Austin to make his first start since October 17 th .

But it was Chatham who had the game's first chance when striker Powell hit a low shot wide across goal after being put through down the right hand side.

Invicta were close themselves in the 14 th minute when James Everitt ran at the home defence and his shot was saved onto the post by Ruddy.

A Darren smith cross from the left was then headed wide at the far post by Dryden six minutes later.

Chatham pressed again as Matt Solly drilled a low 25-yard strike just wide of the post in the 22 nd minute when David Hall's cross from the right came back out of the penalty area.

At the other end, James Everitt hit high and narrowly wide in the 29 th minute when a Jimmy Jackson ball was headed back out after a breakaway from a quick Jack Delo throw out following a Chatham corner.

Home right back Hall then crossed just too high for Powell in the middle after receiving the ball from striker Lee Bennett a minute later.

It was a typically tight encounter as James Everitt won a 37 th minute corner from a Josh Burchell ball in a move started by Smith and striker Everitt's header at goalkeeper Ruddy lacked power just before half time after a Liam Friend cross from the left.

The home side threatened at the start of the second half as Invicta defender Dickson got back to clear from striker Brendon Cass when Bennett tried to play him through the middle in the 50 th minute.

Matt Rowe then curled a shot at Delo five minutes later when Green played the ball in to Bennett.

And Cass came the closest to scoring in the 58 th minute when he received a good ball from Powell and picked his spot but saw his shot strike both bar and post before Delo was just able to prevent it from crossing the line.

There was a five-minute delay when Powell escaped with a yellow card for his challenge on Dickson which raised temperatures.

Invicta had to adjust to 4-4-2 as substitute Peter Williams took up a wide left midfield role.

An under hit back pass from Friend gave Powell a chance to open the scoring for Chatham in the 70 th minute, but Delo came out to smother at the expense of a corner.

But a game which might not have started due initially to the rain and then to a pre-match floodlight failure was destined not to finish.

Invicta maintain their unbeaten away record in all competitions so far this season but will almost certainly have to play this fixture again.

CHATHAM TOWN : Ruddy, Hall, Green, Solly, Avery, Potter, Rowe, Lyons, Cass, Bennett, Powell (Probets 74 mins). Unused subs : Watts, Scott, Ascheri, Stroud.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA : Delo, Vincent, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, M. Everitt, Smith, Dickson (Williams 63 mins), J. Everitt, Dryden, Jackson. Unused subs : Bartrum, Driscoll, Thompson, Dix.

Attendance : 216.