Folkestone Invicta moved up to second place in the Ryman League Division One South as goals from Jimmy Jackson and James Dryden (penalty) gave Neil Cugley’s side a 2-0 win over Metropolitan Police at the Buzzlines Stadium on Tuesday night.

Jackson opened the scoring with a sweet left-footed strike in the 41st minute and top goalscorer Dryden added a second from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.

The victory leaves Invicta level on points with leaders Kingstonian at least for 24 hours when the Ks visit Eastbourne Town.

Invicta brought the fit again Lee Spiller back into the side for the injured Micheal Everitt in midfield as they looked to respond to Saturday’s F. A. Cup exit.

Met. Police looked dangerous in attack early on as leading marksman Scott Forrester chipped over in the fifth minute when captain Craig Carley played the ball in from the right hand side.

At the other end, a cross from left back Mark Green just eluded Dryden in the middle four minutes later.

The visitors threatened again as Carley hit a low 18th minute shot wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area after a slip by defender Liam Friend and Carley then shot wide again from distance a minute later.

A Forrester shot was deflected for the game’s first corner in the 29th minute when a James Greenaway ball presented the striker with a clear opening which went astray.

Forrester shot over in the 35th minute when Carley played another ball in from the right and Carley himself could not get the ball under control three minutes later when a Steve Sargent pass put him away through the middle.

And Carley could have put the visitors ahead in the 39th minute when he was given on-side but headed over from very close range.

And it was Invicta who went in ahead at half time as JACKSON took the ball on following a James Everitt pass on the left and sent it flying into the net with some aplomb.

It was a different story after the interval as Invicta created the majority of the chances.

Dryden came desperately close to increasing the lead in the 53rd minute when he rolled the ball against a post after a James Everitt ball evaded defender Ron Edwards when Everitt had done well to turn fellow defender Dave Newman following a Lee Gledhill ball.

Striker Dryden then peeled away to the far post in the 56th minute to meet a Jackson free kick from deep on the left, but Edwards blocked for a corner.

Dryden warmed goalkeeper Mo Maan’s hands with a shot from the edge of the penalty area on the hour mark and then could not quite get on the end of another Jackson free kick from the left two minutes later.

Dryden was close again in the 65th minute as he hit a first time shot wide of the post when he looked as he was shaping to ground goalkeeper Maan following an excellent crossfield ball from Green.

For Met. Police, Sargent’s 69th minute free kick from the edge of the penalty area was well saved by home goalkeeper Charlie Mitten following a foul on Vernon Francis after a good run by Rob George.

Mitten came out to save from George in the 80th minute when Carley played the ball out to substitute Steve Goddard on the right.

Invicta captain Gledhill then curled a shot just wide of the far post from the right hand edge of the penalty area.

There was a real scare for Invicta in the 82nd minute when George blasted the ball over the crossbar when it broke to him off Mitten to leave a virtual open goal.

But Invicta struck again when DRYDEN converted his penalty (above) after he himself had been brought down by Gary Drewett after a great ball forward from Scott Lindsey.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Mitten, Gledhill, Green, Friend, Bourne, Spiller (Wilkins 74 mins), Lindsey, J. Everitt, Dryden, Humphrey, Jackson. Unused subs: Burchell, Dickson, Byrne Conyers.

METROPOLITAN POLICE: Maan, Greenaway (Jerwood 78 mins), Harte, Edwards (Moorhouse 86 mins), Newman, Francis, Drewett, George, Forrester (Goddard 69 mins), Carley, Sargent. Unused subs: Cobden, Packham.

Attendance: 197.