A stoppage time equaliser from James Everitt rescued a point for Folkestone Invicta after Eastbourne Town had threatened to take all three points at the Buzzlines Stadium on Wednesday night.

Matt Geard had opened the scoring for the visitors with a scrappy 58th minute goal after a corner from the left hand side.

But EVERITT denied the Sussex club victory as he drilled a low shot into the net after emergency centre forward Frankie Chappell had touched on a clearance from goalkeeper Jack Delo.

Everitt had been Invicta’s hero on Saturday with a spectacular second half winner into the same goal against Burgess Hill Town and he again worked hard up front as the home side soldiered on in the continued absence of strikers Richard Atkins (broken collarbone), Paul Jones (ankle) and Stuart King (operation on arm).

The younger Everitt brother, who recently completed 250 starting appearances for the club, is ever present for Invicta so far this season and has now overtaken the prolific Allan Tait in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

The conditions again played their part on Wednesday night, although the wind and rain were in stark contrast to the weekend’s autumn heat wave.

Invicta went into the game with a 100% home Ryman League Division One South record this season and had captain Micheal Everitt (ankle) fit again to take his place in a 4-4-2 formation, with Roland Edge at left back and Josh Burchell in midfield in front of him.

Striker Everitt shot over on the turn for Invicta from the right hand side in the seventh minute but this was not to be a comfortable night for the home side.

Luke Denton tried his luck from 30 yards for Eastbourne five minutes later, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.

The deadlock continued as Burchell cut in from the left in the 20th minute and shot over from a central position on the edge of the penalty area.

It was tit-for-tat in the 25th minute as Denton headed wide after an Owen Kessack cross from the left and Burchell burst through when the ball broke for him but Adam Davidson got back to tackle at the expense of a corner.

A 35th minute Burchell corner into a crowded penalty area from the right then came back off the top of the crossbar.

Darren Smith then sent Burchell away down the left and his shot across goal deflected just wide of the far post for another corner.

Eastbourne won one of several corners of their own in the 42nd minute when Danny Curd could not get the ball under control after a ball into the middle of the penalty area.

Invicta striker Simon Austin dinked a shot at goalkeeper Kieron Thorp when Smith nodded the ball to him on the left hand side of the penalty area in the 51st minute and a Burchell shot was blocked for a corner when the ball came in from the right four minutes later.

At the other end, Delo had to get down to keep out a good low strike from Sam Crabb.

And the visitors went ahead after GEARD forced the ball over the line from close range in a crowded penalty box after a corner from the left hand been met at the far post.

Ryan Moreby fired wide in the 66th minute when Smith touched the ball to James Everitt and Thorp got down to keep out a Chappell header seven minutes later after a deep Josh Vincent cross from the right when Smith played a free kick out wide.

For Eastbourne, Curd shot over in the 74th minute after Crabb had broken down the left hand side.

Invicta then pushed Chappell up into attack, with Liam Dickson taking his place at the heart of the defence after coming on for captain Everitt.

Chappell shot over from the right hand side of the penalty area in the 76th minute after a Moreby through ball in a move also involving Vincent.

Invicta had more defending to do in the 78th minute as Delo touched an in-swinging corner from the left over the bar for another corner.

The home side brought on youngster Cade Mortimer and Andrew Miller as they tried to retrieve the situation during the closing stages.

But Eastbourne had further chances of their own as substitute Stacey Freeman hit a low 82nd minute shot wide and Curd drilled a low shot wide five minutes later when Freeman touched the ball on to him. Freeman is the son of watching Whitehawk manager Darren.

Eastbourne’s Scott Kirkwood had been the game’s only booking for a challenge that resulted in Smith limping off.

Invicta substitute Mortimer shot at Thorp from the right hand side in the 89th minute after a ball from Edge on the left but it did not look like being the Folkestone club’s night.

Late Eastbourne substitute Nathan Crabb shot at Delo during stoppage time after a ball over the Invicta defence and fellow substitute Richard Greenfield then fired wide from the right hand side after a ball from Crabb.

Crabb was making his return after being left with injuries to his cheek bones and jaw following a late night fracas.

And Everitt’s last ditch equaliser made the visitors pay for those missed chances.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, Vincent, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Edge, Smith (Miller 83 mins), J. Everitt, Austin (Mortimer 80 mins), Moreby, M. Everitt (Dickson 74 mins). Unused subs: Guiver, Hayward.

EASTBOURNE TOWN: Thorp, Davidson, Kessack, Brooks, Fogdon, May, Kirkwood, S. Crabb, Curd (N. Crabb 89 mins), Denton (Greenfield 73 mins), Geard (Freeman 78 mins). Unused subs: Lang, Cristie.

Attendance: 144.