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Folkestone romp to emphatic victory in east London

Folkestone Invicta enjoyed a morale-boosting win as they romped to an emphatic victory away to Leyton in east London on Tuesday night thanks to goals from strikers Simon Glover (2), James Dryden and John Ayling.

This was just the tonic Invicta needed after their last-ditch home defeat against Yeading on Saturday as Neil Cugley’s side raced to a 3-0 half time lead.

After a lively opening quarter of an hour, Invicta opened the scoring after 18 minutes when DRYDEN unleashed a sweet strike into the back of the net for his third goal in three games.

It was 2-0 in the 30^th minute when following a quick free kick, Ayling put GLOVER clean through and the blond striker made the most of the time and space he had to open his account for his new club following a summer move from Dover Athletic.

Invicta were enjoying themselves on a good playing surface and AYLING made it 3-0 from close range when Glover skipped past two defenders down the left flank to get into the box after 43 minutes.

Ayling was back in the starting line up for one more farewell appearance before embarking on a scholarship in America as Invicta have released Jamie Wood.

GLOVER completed the scoring when he struck again to make it 4-0 after 54 minutes when he shrugged off a defender and lobbed the ball into the back of the net.

Leyton had won two of their opening three Ryman Premier League matches of the season and will be by no means the worst side Invicta face in their new division.

It was an open game from the start as Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell tipped over a well struck shot from James Hawes as early as the third minute following a move involving Paul Armstrong and Mark Sophocleous.

At the other end, the pace of Glover and Ayling was always likely to cause the home defence problems and the latter hit a low shot just wide of the far post from the left hand side in the fourth minute.

Manny Williams shot just wide from the edge of the box for Leyton after combining with Danny Jones in the 11^th minute and former Stevenage Borough striker Armstrong did well to make room for himself and shoot just wide of the post from the right hand side two minutes later.

Ayling shot wide from the edge of the box when Glover played the ball back to him on the quarter of an hour mark.

And Invicta soon had a stranglehold on the game when they established a two-goal lead.

Dryden hit a free kick just over the crossbar from a dangerous position right on the edge of the box when Hawes fouled Glover after 35 minutes.

Kessell then had to save a Hawes shot at the other end in the 42^nd minute following a move also  involving Jones as Leyton sought a way back into the game.

But Invicta’s final two goals either side of half time were to put the result beyond any reasonable doubt.

Remarkably, Invicta had to wait until the 79^th minute to force their only corner of the night, while their well-beaten hosts gained eight.

But this was to be an away day to savour for the Folkestone side and their travelling supporters.

Leyton defender Scott Honeyball was booked for raising his arm to Glover when the Invicta player raced past him down the left flank after 69 minutes and substitute Leli Bajada followed him into the referee’s notebook for a foul on the again unflappable defender John Guest after 77 minutes.

Invicta also gave a first competitive outing to teenage substitute Mark Rook during the final ten minutes of the match.

LEYTON: Courtnage, Jones (Fannon 88 mins), Golby, Wood, Honeyball, Curley, Renner, Hawes, Armstrong, Sophocleous, Williams (Bajada 47 mins).  Unused subs: Paul, Parkyn, Hasell.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Everitt, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, Chandler, Munday (Rook 81 mins), Dryden, Ayling (Walker 52 mins), Glover. Unused subs: Dyson, Morrin.