Two goals in the final 15 minutes from Stuart King, the second from the penalty spot, gave Folkestone Invicta all three points at Whyteleafe on Saturday afternoon after they had trailed 1-0 going into the closing stages.

King made it four goals in three games for his new club as he equalised in the 79th minute and then hit the winner from the penalty spot after goalkeeper Paul Smith was penalised for bringing down James Everitt.

Whyteleafe had opened the scoring through Ryan Thomas as early as the third minute before it all went wrong for the home side towards the end of the game when they had substitute Fabian Batchelor sent off for a head butt on Roland Edge.

Invicta went into the game with striker Richard Atkins making his full debut in place of Paul Jones (twisted ankle) and Liam Dickson returning at left back in a 4-3-3 formation at Church Road, with Edge moving up into midfield.

But it was Whyteleafe who scored early as THOMAS struck the ball into the net after striker Jay Garrick had pulled the ball back when Alex Brown played it down the left hand side of the penalty area.

The home side looked lively early on as Thomas nodded the ball over Invicta goalkeeper Jack Delo in the eighth minute but central defender Liam Friend was there to clear from close to the line.

Thomas then shot at Delo from the edge of the penalty area in the 11th minute.

At the other end, Smith came out to save with his legs to deny King when the ball broke for the Invicta striker down the right hand side of the penalty area a minute later.

Kwabena Ageyi volleyed just wide for Whyteleafe when the ball fell to him in the 24th minute.

For Invicta, Ryan Moreby side footed wide from the edge of the penalty area on the half hour mark when King pulled a free kick back to him after a foul by Garrick on Atkins down the right.

A 33rd minute Matt Hollyoak shot was then touched past the post by Smith for Invicta’s first corner of the game.

James Everitt was then booked for foot up when he challenged goalkeeper Smith for the ball as he tried to capitalise on a header backroom home captain ad centre half Fred Fleming.

A 43rd minute King free kick from a central position on the edge of the penalty area was cleared by Fleming after the defender had fouled James Everitt when a Delo clearance was allowed to carry.

Whyteleafe, though, had two further chances during first half stoppage time as Garrick brushed aside Hollyoak inside the penalty area and lobbed onto the crossbar and out for a goal kick.

Ageyi then chipped against the crossbar when Jerome Ingram played the ball down the left hand side.

It was a completely different story after the interval as Invicta took the game to their hosts as they looked to turn things around.

A 48th minute Moreby ball in from the right was touched over the crossbar for a corner by Smith and the Whyteleafe goalkeeper then touched the ball over again to deny King a minute later when an edge touch gave the striker a chance inside the box.

James Everitt then brought a good save from Smith after King played the ball through.

Smith prevented Invicta from equalising again in the 53rd minute when he touched an Everitt header onto the crossbar and then kept out Atkins’ rebound when Hollyoak played the ball in from the right after Moreby had played the ball out wide.

Home centre half Dan Aldous then made a saving 57th minute tackle to deny substitute Josh Vincent when King played the ball through.

Smith came out to save again from King in the 65th minute as Invicta continued to chase an equaliser in a move involving Everitt and Moreby.

At the other end, Delo did well to get across and keep out Ageyi’s 70th minute far post header after a fre kick from the left.

Whyteleafe substitute Batchelor was booked in the 74th minute for kicking the ball away after being given offside.

Batchelor then had a chance to increase the home side’s lead when he was put through in the 78th minute when squaring up to Friend in the middle but the substitute failed to take his chance.

KING equalised when he shot on the turn and into the net after Smith had saved from Everitt.

Batchelor was then sent off in the 80th minute as he thrust his head at Edge when the Whyteleafe player lost control again.

The drama did not stop there as Invicta were awarded a penalty when Everitt went down as he was going past goalkeeper Smith and KING put the visitors ahead from the spot.

Smith received a yellow card for the penalty incident and captain Fleming soon joined him in the referee’s notebook for dissent.

Invicta had a chance to increase their lead during stoppage time but Atkins shot wide across goal from the left hand side of the penalty area when Fleming let the ball bounce and did not get enough power on his header.

The visitors gave a first outing to substitute Andrew Miller, formerly of Dover Athletic, as a stoppage time replacement for Atkins.

WHYTELEAFE: Smith, Brockenhurst (Gnamore 86 mins), Taylor, Fleming, Aldous, Snadde (Henry-Brown 75 mins), Ingram, Brown, Garrick (Batchelor 50 mins), Thomas, Ageyi. Unused subs: Goff, Lidbury.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, Hollyoak, Dickson, Friend, Chappell, Edge, M. Everitt (Vincent 45 mins), J. Everitt, Atkins (Miller 90 mins), Moreby, King. Unused subs: Jackson, Hayward.

Attendance: 93.