Maidstone 0-3 Invicta

Folkestone Invicta returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Maidstone United at Sittingbourne’s Bourne Park on Wednesday night.

Top goalscorer Stuart King opened the scoring before Invicta’s next two goals came from the more unlikelier sources of Roland Edge and Liam Dickson.

King had returned to the side having missed Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat against second-placed Dulwich Hamlet with a hamstring injury before having to go off at half time.

Neither of these play-off chasing Kent clubs had gone into the game on the best of runs as Maidstone had won just two from eight and Invicta went into this encounter having won just one of their last eight matches.

But it Neil Cugley’s side who took all three points and moved back into the play-off places above Maidstone United and into four place in the Ryman League Division One South table.

The visitors went into the game without the injured Josh Vincent (groin), with captain Micheal Everitt dropping to right back.

Maidstone had an early chance when leading marksman Shaun Welford went round Invicta goalkeeper Jack Delo after a Sam Hasler ball down the left hand side but the off-balance striker shot wide of the post.

And it was Invicta who opened the scoring in the 12th minute when the prolific KING latched onto a James Everitt through ball and once again stroked the ball into the net. That’s now 22 goals in 21 starts for King who has also scored in each of his last four matches.

Welford fired wide for Maidstone in the 21st minute after running at the Invicta defence, but King threatened again a minute later when he tested home goalkeeper John Whitehouse from the right hand side of the penalty area.

Striker Welford had another chance in the 23rd minute when he capitalised on a slip by Delo but shot into the side netting from the left hand side of the box.

A Josh Burchell shot deflected off central defender Graeme Andrews for Invicta’s first corner of the game after a Darren Smith ball. And Invicta increased their lead from Burchell’s subsequent 24th minute corner from the left that was volleyed in by player-coach EDGE against his former club.

Maidstone’s Danny Lye and Sam Groombridge were then both booked for challenges on Smith, the latter after the Invicta midfielder had latched onto a James Everitt ball just outside the penalty area.

Sam Bewick shot across goal at Delo from the right hand side in the 41st minute.

But Invicta were in control as the now struggling King curled a free kick narrowly wide and striking partner Everitt hit a well-struck shot just over in the closing minutes of the first half.

Maidstone went in search of a lifeline at the start of the second half and Hasler headed wide from a Lye corner on the right.

Bewick shot just wide of the far post across goal from the right hand side in the 58th minute after a Baff Addae ball and Bewick broke again down the right five minutes later but his cross did not beat Delo at the near post.

But Invicta made the points safe in the 65th minute when left back DICKSON burst into the Maidstone half to meet his own ball forward and calmly slotted the ball into the net. It was Dickson’s first goal since a Kent Senior Cup tie, also against Maidstone, in March 2010.

Dickson was involved at the other end two minutes later when a Tom Mills cross from the left came off him and past the far post for a corner.

For Invicta, Darren Marsden shot wide in the 78th minute after a move also involving James Everitt, Smith and substitute Simon Austin and a sweet Burchell strike was touched over the crossbar by Whitehouse a minute later.

Delo palmed away van 86th minute Mills shot after a Bewick ball to the left and Frankie Chappell cleared a Bewick cross from the right after an Ellis Green ball as Invicta held on for a clean sheet on a good night for the Folkestone club.

MAIDSTONE UNITED: Whitehouse, Osborne, Mills, Groombridge, Andrews, Lye (Davisson 65 mins), Hasler (Green 56 mins), Bewick, Welford, Addae (Waugh 45 mins), Murray.  Unused subs: Saunders, Greenfield.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, Edge (Abel 82 mins), Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, Smith (Gonnella 87 mins), Marsden, J. Everitt, King (Austin 45 mins), M. Everitt.  Unused subs: Mortimer, Hayward.

Attendance: 309.