Hythe Town 0-2 Invicta

Folkestone Invicta completed a league double over local rivals Hythe Town to make it six points out of six over the Bank Holiday weekend as second half goals from Darren Marsden and Josh Burchell gave Neil Cugley’s side victory at Reachfields on Easter Monday afternoon.

Two goals in a four-minute spell midway through the second half gave Invicta victory after Hythe had enjoyed their bets spell of the game just after the interval in front of a season’s best 804 crowd at Reachfields.

MARSDEN got the all-important first goal in the 67th minute when he was put through the middle after a combination of passes from Liam Dickson and James Everitt and touched the ball past goalkeeper Dean Ruddy and into the net.

It was Marsden’s third goal over the Easter weekend after his brace against Crawley Down on Saturday.

And BURCHELL soon made it 2-0 in the 70th minute when he found the net after captain Darren Smith got clear down the right hand side after a Marsden ball.

On a rainy afternoon, Invicta went into the game with Jack Pallen making his debut up front on dual registration from Dartford and Lee Gledhill continuing in the right back slot.

Both sides had their captain and top goalscorer suspended: Dave Cook in Hythe’s case and Micheal Everitt and Stuart King completing their bands for Invicta.

Desperate to put Boxing Day’s 8-0 drubbing well and truly in the past, Hythe looked to make a positive start as the ball broke to James Dryden and Brendon Cass inside the opening minutes, but Invicta’s central defenders were able to block and clear.

Clear chances were at a premium in the first half but Burchell curled a 21st minute shot wide after a move involving strikers Richard Atkins and Pallen.

Atkins put the ball past Ruddy and into the net three minutes later but an assistant referee’s flag was up for offside when Burchell and Pallen combined to put him through.

Hythe centre half Nick Reeves then blocked from Atkins in the middle of the penalty area after a Smith ball in from the right.

Home centre forward Craig Thompson was booked for a heavy 27th minute challenge on Dickson and was walking a tightrope having earlier been spoken to by referee Ian Gosling for catching Liam Friend.

Taser Hassan did well down the left hand side in the 37th minute but Dickson prevented his cross from reaching Dryden on the right.

Hythe were close three minutes later when Friend blocked from Cass and a Nick Barnes shot deflected off team mate Thompson for a goal kick.

The home side then went closest to a first half goal just before the interval when Everitt clipped Barnes and Reeves’ free kick struck the crossbar from an inviting central position right on the edge of the penalty area.

A 53rd minute Hassan shot came off Everitt for the game’s first corner.

And Hythe were close again a minute later when Jack Delo got across to make a one-handed save to deny Dryden after he had fired a bouncing ball down the middle.

A Dryden back header then came off the top of the crossbar after a typically long thrown in from Hythe right back Aaron Lacy in the 57th minute.

Delo then saved from Thompson on the hour mark after a Ronnie Dolan through ball.

Lacy was booked for a second handball of the game and Invicta then replaced Pallen with former Hythe player Damian Abel, with Everitt moving forward and Smith moving across to a more central midfield role.

Marsden put the ball across goal from the left hand side in the 65th minute AFTER A Burchell ball.

And Marsden’s goal, swiftly followed by Burchell’s strike, was to put Invicta firmly in control.

Kieran Byrne replaced Dryden for Hythe and soon shot over on the turn after a Lacy ball in from the right.

Hythe needed a lifeline quickly and a 77th minute Barnes shot was blocked by Friend after the former had combined with Cass and an off balance Cass then fired wastefully wide from the left hand side of the penalty area.

Barnes was booked for a late 87th minute challenge on Gledhill, with the Invicta right back soon also to be cautioned for a similar foul on Thompson.

Hythe captain Pat Kingwell shot over from just outside the penalty area in the 89th minute after a Barnes ball forward.

But this was again to be Invicta’s day and Abel forced a stoppage time save from Ruddy after Burchell and Atkins had combined to play the ball across to him on the right hand side.

Hythe are looking good for a top half finish in their first season in the Ryman League but will retain a feeling of unfinished business about not having beaten their neighbours.

Invicta themselves remain well on course for the Division One South play offs after a fourth successive win.

HYTHE TOWN: Ruddy, Lacy, Walker, Kingwell, Reeves, Dolan, Hassan, Barnes, Thompson, Cass, Dryden (Byrne 71 mins).  Unused subs: Winfield, Parkinson, Porter, Mann.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, Gledhill, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, Smith, Marsden, Parnell (Abel  60 mins), Atkins, J. Everitt.  Unused subs: Mortimer, Cole, Hayward.

Attendance: 804.