Invicta 1-2 Gillingham

Two first half goals from Rowan Vine gave Gillingham victory in Mick Dix’[s testimonial match at the Buzzlines Stadium on Monday night, with Richard Atkins pulling a goal back during the second half.

Striker VINE, on loan from Premiership club QPR, opened the scoring in the 23^rd minute when he took advantage of an error from goalkeeper Jack Delo who dropped the ball after a deflected Danny Spiller strike to gift the Football League Division Two club a goal.

VINE then made it 2-0 in the 35^th minute when he cut in from the right hand side past a couple of defenders and slotted a well-taken goal into the net.

Half time substitute ATKINS pulled a goal back in the 57^th minute with a neat chip over goalkeeper Darren Hawkes when the striker had latched onto a through ball.

And Atkins had a chance to equalise in the 66^th minute when he was put through again but this time Hawkes came out to save at the expense of a corner.

Invicta had made just one change to Saturday’s winning line up at Worthing as Simon Austin came in as captain in place of Roland Edge.

The visitors had the ball in the net as early as the second minute but Dennis Oli’s ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside after an Ollie Lee back heel.

But Invicta themselves made a good start and Damian Abel might have chosen to go for goal himself in the ninth minute but instead elected to cross for Austin in the middle after a Darren Marsden pass and Jack Evans was able to clear for a corner.

At the other end, Alex Brown shot over in the 12^th minute after a ball from Nick Gontos.

Abel then forced a save from Hawkes with a well-struck shot from outside the penalty area.

In between the two Gillingham goals captain Spiller headed at Delo after an Evans cross.

Invicta made several changes at half time as Atkins, Richard Carpenter, Shane Spearpoint and goalkeeper Roddy Hayward replaced Austin, Darren Smith, Josh Burchell and Delo, with Cade Mortimer soon to come on for Marsden.

Gillingham themselves were to bring on manager Andy Hessenthaler and former Invicta captain Scott Lindsey during the second half.

A Lee shot was touched round the post for a corner by Hayward on the hour mark and Lee shot over from the subsequent set piece.

A 75^th minute shot from Evans was well held by Hayward, while substitute Mammadu Cisse took the ball on and fired over four minutes later.

Lee had another strike at goal in the 87^th minute but Hayward plucked the ball out of the air.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo (Hayward 45 mins), M. Everitt, Burchell (Spearpoint 45 mins), Friend, Chappell, Dickson, Smith (Carpenter 45 mins), Marsden (Mortimer 53 mins), J. Everitt, Abel, Austin (Atkins 45 mins).

GILLINGHAM: Hawkes (Bourne), Evans, Carter (Katsikas), Spiller (Lindsey), Southall, Brunt, Lee, Brown, Vine (Cisse), Oli (Hessenthaler), Gontos (Hare)